Zimbabwe play for pride in the Harare finale after Australia clinch the ODI series

Australia have already taken the series 2-0, leaving Zimbabwe to play for a consolation win when the sides close their three-match one-day series at Harare Sports Club on Sunday

Australia sealed it with an 84-run win in the second ODI on Friday, a result built on Travis Head's first century since last summer's Ashes. The third match, at the same ground, now decides only whether Zimbabwe avoid a whitewash.

The hosts have been competitive in patches without ever threatening to win. They lost the opener by 59 runs and never got close to Australia's 356 for 6 in the second match, despite five of their top six passing 30.

Both sides have reason to treat the dead rubber seriously. Zimbabwe co-host the 2027 ODI World Cup and Harare Sports Club is one of the venues, so Australia are using the tour to learn conditions they will meet while defending their title.

A series decided in two matches

Australia made 294 for 8 in the opener, with Matt Renshaw's maiden ODI hundred, 109 from 94 balls, earning him the player-of-the-match award. Zimbabwe were bowled out for 235 in 45.1 overs, Nathan Ellis taking a maiden five-wicket haul of 5-31.

The second match was a heavier defeat. Head's 112 from 84 balls, with 15 fours and three sixes, was the platform for Australia's highest total against Zimbabwe, supported by Mitchell Marsh's 53 from 63 and Cooper Connolly's 78 from 69.

Oliver Peake, 20, then hit 41 not out from 18 balls, including three sixes in the final over. Zimbabwe replied with 272 in 48.3 overs, Sikandar Raza top-scoring with 45 from 49.

Adam Zampa reached 200 ODI wickets during that innings, the second Australian spinner after Shane Warne to do so, finishing with 2-62. Josh Hazlewood took 2-48 on his first 50-over appearance in almost a year and Connolly 2-25.

Zimbabwe's individual gains

The defeats have not been without return. Newman Nyamhuri, 20, took 5-62 in the first match, and Brad Evans claimed 3-86 in the second.

Brendan Taylor, meanwhile, passed a record of Sachin Tendulkar's in the opener. At 40, and back from retirement since 2025, he has now had the longest career in men's ODI cricket at 22 years and 148 days, beating Tendulkar's 22 years and 91 days.

Taylor debuted against Sri Lanka in April 2004. He made 39 in the second match, keeping wicket.

Australia's injury questions

Australia go into Sunday waiting on two fast bowlers. Billy Stanlake left the field with a left-side strain three balls into his fifth over on Friday, and was expected to be sent for scans on Saturday. His absence left Australia using eight bowlers.

Cameron Green has missed the series so far with a sore shoulder, though scans showed no structural damage and he is understood to be close to a return for the final match.

Marsh is leading with Pat Cummins rested for the tour, and played his 100th ODI in the opener.

Raza leads a reshaped Zimbabwe

Raza is captaining as a stand-in. Richard Ngarava, appointed Zimbabwe's permanent ODI captain shortly before the series, was ruled out by a back complaint.

The squad carries two notable recalls. Taylor returned after a year out of the side, and Graeme Cremer was named after eight years away, in line for a first ODI appearance since 2018.

Cremer, who turns 40 between the second and third matches, is one of two specialist spinners in the squad alongside Wellington Masakadza.

A rehearsal for 2027

This is the fourth bilateral ODI series between the countries. Australia won 3-0 in 1999 and again in 2014, and took the 2022 series in Australia 2-1.

The most recent meeting before this tour went the other way. Zimbabwe beat Australia by 23 runs at the 2026 T20 World Cup in Colombo in February, a result that knocked the Australians out of the tournament.

"We've played them a little bit now, and I guess you could say we've built up a little bit of a rivalry," Ellis said before the series. "There are no easy beats."

The third ODI begins at 9:30am local time on Sunday, with Zimbabwe playing to avoid a 3-0 defeat at home.

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