Intro:

India's stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane has warned his side that underdogs Zimbabwe are "getting better day by day" as the two nations prepare to face each other in the first of three one-day internationals in Harare on Friday (July 16).

India are currently second only to world champions Australia in the ICC ODI rankings, while Zimbabwe lie in the bottom two of the 12-team standings with just Afghanistan below them, but Rahane is taking nothing for granted.

The 27-year-old batsman, who will lead an under-strength India side missing the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe lost their three-match ODI series against Pakistan 2-0 in May but were far from outclassed - certainly with the bat - as they made 334 for five and 268 for seven in the first two matches, before reaching 69 without loss in the final game when rain forced a wash-out.

India, meanwhile, are coming off a disappointing tour to Bangladesh which saw them held to a draw in the one-off Test before losing the ODI series 2-1, so Zimbabwe will be hopeful of their chances of causing an upset.

The hosts have brought in four new faces to the 16-man squad that toured Pakistan, with Malcolm Waller, Donald Tiripano, Neville Madziva and Regis Chakabva being drafted in.

Coventry, Roy Kaia, Tawanda Mupariwa, Christopher Mpofu and the injured Craig Ervine have been left out of the reduced 15-man group for Friday's match, but some of them could yet be involved in the series, which will include two Twenty20 internationals to follow the one-dayers.

For India, veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh, 35, is set to make his first ODI appearance in more than four years during the series - while players such as Robin

Uthappa and Murali Vijay will be hoping to push their claims in the absence of the established stars.

Script:

Ajinkya Rahane, India captain:

"We have got that experience against Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe we are to give our best on the field as we did in ODI cricket. We gave our best and the attitude was fantastic, again in T20 our main point will be to play as a unit."

Ajinkya Rahane, India captain:

"You have different challenges like I said in T20, one or two overs can change the momentum for any team. So we have to be our best, give our best all the times, all 40 overs I feel. I think attitude and our intention will be very crucial for T20's."
`
Hamilton Masakadza, Zimbabwe captain:

"We weren't expecting this team to be as challenging as the other guys that were left behind but we weren't taking these guys for granted and it loved to be the rightful thing to do because they ended up white washing us. But a little bit of confidence going into the new format and also a few new faces in the squad."