Australia will attempt to complete a 3-0 series sweep against Zimbabwe on September 20 at Harare Sports Club. The visitors are expected to welcome back Cameron Green, who missed the opening two matches due to right shoulder soreness but has returned to active training drills.
While Green returns to contention, fast bowler Billy Stanlake is unlikely to feature again on the current southern African tour. Stanlake suffered a side strain during the second ODI, an injury expected to sideline him for both the final match in Harare and the upcoming series in South Africa. Josh Hazlewood noted the bowler’s frustration regarding the diagnosis. “He’s never done a side strain before, so he was unaware and sort of gave it another go… frustrating for him,” Hazlewood said.
Australia leads the three-match series 2-0 following an 84-run victory in the second fixture. That win was anchored by Travis Head, who struck 112 runs. Head reached his century in 75 balls, the fastest by an Australian against Zimbabwe, ending a stretch where he had failed to pass 26 in eight previous innings across all formats.
The series has also seen the emergence of Cooper Connolly in the middle order. At 23 years and 27 days, Connolly became the youngest Australian to record three consecutive 50-plus scores in ODIs after hitting 78 in the second match. His performance at number three is part of a broader effort to audit young talent in African conditions ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa also reached a personal milestone in the previous match, claiming his 200th ODI wicket. Captain Mitchell Marsh described the series-clinching performance as a comprehensive team effort. “I thought it was a complete performance from the boys,” Marsh said.
Nathan Ellis highlighted the team’s broader objectives for the final match on Sunday. “So excited to not only try and get a little bit of redemption, but also start building towards the one-day World Cup in a year or so,” Ellis said, referencing the motivation to improve on previous results against the hosts.
Zimbabwe must address top-order inconsistency to avoid their first home whitewash against Australia in over two decades. With Brian Bennett and Ben Curran struggling for runs, the hosts may rely on the experience of Brendan Taylor, who recently returned to the squad after a year-long absence from international cricket.
