Zimbabwe wins toss, elects to bat against Australia in third ODI

In Harare, Zimbabwe, captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and decided to bat first in their third and final ODI against Australia on Sunday. Australia entered the series as favorites, having defeated Zimbabwe by 59 runs in the opening match and again by 84 runs in the second game on Friday. Raza stated after the toss that it was an opportunity to attempt a different strategy in the series, following Zimbabwe's struggles to chase down targets in the previous two games due to difficulty batting against the older ball.

For Australia, Xavier Bartlett returned to the team to replace the rested Josh Hazlewood, while Spencer Johnson replaced Billy Stanlake who left the game in the second match with a side strain. Graeme Cremer, who turned 40 on Saturday, also returned to One Day Internationals for Zimbabwe after an eight-year hiatus, coming in for Wellington Masakadza who was left out due to a minor injury.

Fast bowler Newman Nyamhuri, who had taken his first five-wicket haul in the opening match, was rested and replaced by Ernest Masuku, who made his first appearance in the series for Zimbabwe. The Australian lineup consisted of captain Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Matt Renshaw, Ollie Peake, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, and Spencer Johnson.