Dominant fast-bowling was the key to Australia's comfortable eight-wicket win in their second ODI against Zimbabwe on Wednesday, holding the visitors to just 96 runs after sending them in to bat first.

Winning the toss for the second consecutive match, the Australians stuck with their strategy of bowling first on the tricky Townsville wicket, and the results were nearly immediate.

After a couple of early wides, Starc found the first wicket in his second over, swinging one into the right-handed Innocent Kaia to clip the outside of off-stump, leaving Zimbabwe at 13-1.

With Josh Hazlewood at the other end bowling at his efficient best, Zimbabwe had not scored a run by the time Starc got the ball back and took his second wicket, this time with his in-swinger coming all the way back to collect Wesley Madhevere LBW in front of his leg-stump.

After another maiden from Hazlewood, Starc had his third straight over with a wicket, this time with an edge finding substitute fielder Marnus Labuschagne in the slips.

Sean Williams went on to top-score for Zimbabwe with 29 from 45 deliveries, before a loose shot saw him caught for a wicket to leg-spinner Adam Zampa.

Zampa went on to take three wickets of his own, finishing with figures of 3-21 from 3.5 overs, while Starc took 3-24 from eight overs. Following up his maiden ODI five-wicket haul, Cameron Green took 2-7 from three overs.

With Zimbabwe all-out for 96, there was almost no pressure on the Australian batsmen, although that might have been what led to their cheap wickets.

David Warner wanted to get the job done in a hurry, with two boundaries from the first eight deliveries he faced, before a big swing resulted in a top-edge caught by a fielder at third-man.

It was good bowling from Richard Ngarava, which resulted in a two-wicket over when Aaron Finch nicked one to first slip just three balls later on a score of one.

That would be it for Zimbabwe's bowling highlights as Steve Smith and Alex Carey made it look easy the rest of the way, with Smith finishing on 47 not-out from 41 deliveries, while Carey posted 26 not-out from 33 to reach the target in the 15th over.

The third ODI will be contested on Saturday, with Australia already having secured the three-game series.

Mitchell Marsh will miss the remainder of Australia's ODI series against Zimbabwe due to an ankle injury.

The all-rounder sustained minor damage to his ankle during the first match of the series in Townsville, which Australia won by five wickets.

Marsh has returned to Perth, but is expected to be fit for a three-match Twenty20 tour of India that starts on September 21.

Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis has been called up as a replacement for the two remaining ODIs versus Zimbabwe.

Inglis will fly back from England, where he replaced Glenn Maxwell at London Spirit for The Hundred, to join up with the squad 

Steve Smith says ensuring Marsh is fit for the T20 World Cup on home soil is the priority.

"He's been playing some good white-ball cricket recently," Smith said of Marsh. "The way we set up our team the other day with bulk allrounders, he was a big part of that.

"It's disappointing for Mitch but there's some pretty important stuff coming up.

"He was a big part of our T20 World Cup campaign last year and I'm sure there's big plans for him this year. The priority is to get him right for that."

Touching tributes were paid to Andrew Symonds in Townsville during Australia's ODI with Zimbabwe on Sunday.

Former Australia all-rounder Symonds died in a car accident in May at the age of 46.

The outfield at Riverway Stadium was emblazoned with 'Roy 388' a reference to Symonds' nickname and his Australia Test cap number.

Symonds' children, Billy and Chloe, stood alongside ODI captain Aaron Finch and Steve Smith during the national anthems, when a minute's silence was held in his honour.

They later served as enthusiastic drinks carriers for Australia's players in the field.

Symonds' wife Laura Vidmar, sister Louise, mother Barbara, his children and close friend Jimmy Maher took to the middle during the interval to place his baggy green, his bat, his Akubra hat, a fishing rod and a crab pot at the stumps. His much-loved dogs Buzz and Woody also joined the family for the emotional tribute.

"What he did as a player was remarkable," Finch said prior to the match, which Australia won by five wickets. 

"He was someone who put bums on seats, he was box office with bat and in the field. [It's been] a really sad time obviously for Australian cricket over the last little while. It'll be nice to have some tributes and his family here.

"For someone who was so laid-back, his depth of knowledge of cricket and players was second to none. I think the larrikin tag was there, but the deep knowledge of the game was outstanding as well."

Symonds made 26 Test appearances for Australia, scoring two centuries, his first coming in the Boxing Day Test in 2006-07 Ashes series. He recorded 10 half-centuries and had an average of 40.61 and took 24 Test wickets.

In ODI cricket, he played a key role in Australia's 2003 Cricket World Cup triumph, scoring 326 runs in five innings at an average of 163. He also featured in their 2007 success.

He scored 5,088 ODI runs, 16th in the all-time list for Australia, producing six centuries and 30 half-centuries. Symonds took 133 wickets in the 50-over format.

Australia was too good for Zimbabwe in the first of their three-match ODI series on Saturday, riding some dominant bowling from Cameron Green to a five-wicket victory.

Winning the toss and opting to bowl first, the Australians clearly felt their bowling attack could restrict Zimbabwe to a manageable total, but the visiting side started well in Townsville.

Zimbabwe's openers safely navigated the opening 10 overs, before Innocent Kala was caught-and-bowled by Mitchell Marsh to make it 42-1, but the partnership of Tadiwanashe Marumani and Wessly Madhevere looked resolute.

Australian quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood would have felt they were unlucky to not take any wickets in their opening spell, but despite some loose shots and near-catches, Zimbabwe built a healthy platform of 87-1.

Marumani ended up playing all around a straight one from Adam Zampa to be dismissed on 45 from 61 deliveries, and once he was gone, Madhevere starting losing running-mates quickly.

Six of the last seven batsmen to come to the middle were dismissed for no more than seven runs, with Regis Chakabva's 31 from 33 deliveries the last piece of resistance before Madhevere was caught-and-bowled by Zampa on 72 from 91.

A late onslaught from the Aussie attack turned 185-4 into all-out for 200, as Cameron Green rattled off five quick wickets to clean up the tail, finishing with personal figures of 5-33 from nine overs. Zampa was Australia's only other multiple wicket-taker, collecting 3-57.

With such a low target required, the Australians knew they could take their time, as evidenced by their top-three batsmen all going at a pace slower than a run-per-ball.

David Warner controlled proceedings early, surviving a close third-umpire referral when the Zimbabwe wicketkeeper was convinced he heard a feathery touch, going on to score 57 from 66 deliveries before being bowled.

Steve Smith came in at three and was far from in a hurry, methodically playing his way to 48 from 80 deliveries, before Glenn Maxwell came in at number-seven to race towards the finish.

Maxwell only saw nine deliveries, but he sent three to the rope along the ground, and three over the rope on the full on his way to a rapid-fire 32 runs – finishing the game with a big six.

Ryan Burl was expensive for Zimbabwe with the ball, giving up 60 runs in seven overs, but he was also their only multiple wicket-taker, collecting memorable scalps of Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey and Marsh.

The second match of the series will take place on Wednesday, with the third scheduled for Saturday.

Mitchell Starc has ODI milestones and a slice of cricket history in his sights as Australia prepare to tackle Zimbabwe.

Left-arm paceman Starc is five victims away from becoming the sixth player to take 200 wickets for Australia in men's ODIs.

It might be asking too much of 32-year-old Starc to expect him to take all five on what will be, should he play, his 100th ODI appearance.

Indeed, team-mate Marnus Labuschagne has already voiced his view that spin could be the chief wicket-taking threat.

However, as long as Starc takes five at some point over his next four appearances, he will be the fastest player in the history of ODIs to reach 200, surpassing Pakistan's Saqlain Mushtaq, who got to the mark in 104 matches.

Australia and Zimbabwe will clash in three ODIs at the Riverway Stadium in Townsville, Queensland, over the coming days, with the venue staging its first such matches featuring ICC full-member nations.

These will be first ODI encounters between the teams since August 31, 2014, when Zimbabwe beat Australia by three wickets in Harare.

That result ended the hosts' 31-year wait for a second ODI victory in the rivalry between the teams, after Zimbabwe won at Trent Bridge in the 1983 World Cup but then lost their next 27 completed matches against Australia in the format.

Tasty appetiser for Black Caps series

Tussles with Zimbabwe on Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday come ahead of Australia's three-game series against New Zealand in Cairns, which starts on September 6.

Australia have a 93 per cent win rate against Zimbabwe in men's ODIs, and only against Bangladesh (95 per cent) do they have a higher such success rate in the format (minimum 10 games).

Warner bids to go past Waugh, Raza sharp for Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe, coached by Dave Houghton and captained by Regis Chakabva, will be out to cause an upset and must aim to nullify David Warner's threat.

Warner has 18 ODI centuries in 133 matches, putting him one away from recording the outright second most tons for Australia in the short format. He is currently level with Mark Waugh, with Ricky Ponting's 29 hundreds leading the way.

It will be Warner's first ODI against Zimbabwe, and the visitors have their own batting threat in the shape of Sikandar Raza, who has hit three centuries in his past six innings in the 50-over international game, including a ton last time out against India.

Raza averages 62 with the bat since the beginning of 2022, the highest for any Zimbabwe batter in ODIs in a single calendar year (minimum 10 games).

Shubman Gill made his first international century as India beat Zimbabwe by 13 runs to seal a 3-0 ODI series whitewash on Monday.

India started the match chasing a 15th consecutive ODI win against their hosts, as well as a second successive clean sweep on one-day tours of Zimbabwe, and they were not to  be denied in a high-scoring contest.

Gill's landmark knock came after a solid start from opening duo Shikhar Dhawan (40) and KL Rahul (30), while Ishan Kishan made 50 as the tourists posted 289-8 at Harare Sports Club.

Brad Evans (5-54) recorded the best figures of his fledgling ODI career and although Sikandar Raza made a brilliant 115 off 95 balls, Zimbabwe fell short on 276 all out.

The wickets began to tumble when Zimbabwe threw caution to the wind midway through the innings, losing Regis Chakabva (16), Takudzwanashe Kaitano (13), Ryan Buri (8) and Luke Jongwe (14) in the space of just under 10 overs.

Raza led a terrific fightback, hitting three sixes and finding the rope nine times before he was caught by Gill off the bowling of Shardul Thakur in the penultimate over, and Avesh Khan finished off the job by cleaning up Victor Nyauchi.

Avesh took 3-66, while Axar Patel (2-30), Kuldeep Yadav (2-38) and Deepak Chahar (2-75) also made an impact with the ball.

India have now won seven consecutive ODIs away from home, their best run since a sequence of nine in a row between July 2017 to February 2018.

Sanju Samson powered India to victory in the second ODI against Zimbabwe to seal an eighth consecutive series win in the one-sided rivalry between the teams.

The wicketkeeper-batsman followed up three catches by clattering four sixes in an unbeaten 43 as India won by five wickets at Harare Sports Club.

After bowling out Zimbabwe for 161 in 38.1 overs, India made largely light work of the run chase, and Samson's final maximum carried them across the line in style.

India's 167-5 came from just 25.4 overs, and although this was not as crushing a win as the 10-wicket trouncing meted out on Thursday, the result was never in real doubt.

It means India have now won 14 consecutive men's ODIs against Zimbabwe, extending their longest winning streak in the format against any team.

They have also prolonged their 100 per cent ODI series winning record against Zimbabwe, the only ICC full-member team against whom India have been so dominant.

Sean Williams made 42 and Ryan Burl added an unbeaten 39 for Zimbabwe, but the home team had seven batters dismissed for single-figure scores. Shardul Thakur took 3-38 with the ball for India, while Kuldeep Yadav, in his 100th international match, added 1-49.

In reply, Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill both scored 33 for India, and Deepak Hooda added 25, sharing in a stand of 56 for the fifth wicket with Samson after the tourists began to wobble.

Samson made sure by lofting Innocent Kaia over the ropes, with the series concluding at the same ground on Monday.

India eased to victory in the first ODI against Zimbabwe, winning by 10 wickets in Harare on Thursday.

The hosts began poorly as they found themselves 31-4 after the first ball of the 11th over, with none of the top four batsmen scoring double figures.

They continued to struggle up to 110-8 after less than 30 overs, before a partnership of 70 from Brad Evans (33 not out) and Richard Ngarava (34) put some respect on the eventual total of 189 all out, captain Regis Chakabva top scoring with 35.

It did not seem like 190 would be enough to repel India, and sure enough the tourists made light work of it as openers Shikhar Dhawan (81 not out) and Shubman Gill (86 not out) chased it down themselves off just 30.4 overs.

Zimbabwe have lost their last 13 men's ODIs against India, which was already their longest losing streak against them in the format, having last beaten them in June 2010.

India have now won their last five away men's ODI matches. The last time they won as many consecutive matches on the road was a stretch of five in June 2019.

The second of the three-match series takes place in Harare on Saturday.

KL Rahul is determined to add to the "great memories" of facing Zimbabwe when he returns as captain in a three-match ODI series.

Rahul has not played for almost three months after undergoing a hernia operation and suffering with COVID-19.

The batter has been passed fit to lead India at Harare Sports Club, where the opening match of the series will be staged on Thursday, with VVS Laxman stepping in as India head coach while Rahul Dravid takes a break.

Rahul scored an unbeaten century on his ODI debut at the same venue six years ago and is eager to make up for lost time.

He told reporters on Wednesday: "My ODI and T20I debut was in Harare. I got a 100 in my first game, so I have great memories here.

"Hopefully I can add on to those memories. Coming back here after so many years and getting the opportunity to lead your country, obviously when you look back, it's very pleasing.

"As a person you can see how much you've grown and how far you've come as a player. It gives me great joy. Hopefully I can add to those good memories and play some good cricket over the next week."

India suffered a 3-0 series defeat to South Africa in Rahul's only previous series as skipper, but the tourists will be expected to dish out a whitewash of their own in Harare.

Shikhar Dhawan captained India to a 3-0 clean sweep of West Indies in the 50-over format last month and the opener will be vice-captain as they look for a fourth consecutive series triumph.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant are among the players who have been rested ahead of the Asia Cup. Shahbaz Ahmed will be hoping to make his debut after the all-rounder replaced the injured Washington Sundar.

Zimbabwe ended a three-year wait for an ODI series win by beating Bangladesh 2-1, but this will be a much bigger challenge. 

Regis Chakabva will skipper the hosts in the absence of Craig Ervine, who is out with a torn hamstring.

Chahar must make his mark

Deepak Chahar will make his long-awaited return after a six-month absence due to quad and back injuries.

With so much competition for places, the seamer will know he must take his chance. The 30-year-old was not included in India's Asia Cup squad, but he is on standby.

Raza key to Zimbabwe's hopes

Sikandar Raza was named player of the series in Zimbabwe's triumph over the Tigers this month.

The all-rounder scored two centuries, as well as taking five wickets, and Zimbabwe will look to him to contribute again with both bat and ball.

Uncapped all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed has replaced the injured Washington Sundar in India's squad for the ODI series in Zimbabwe.

Sundar sustained a shoulder injury while playing for Lancashire against Worcestershire in the Royal London Cup last week.

The 22-year-old has been ruled out of the three-match series against Zimbabwe, which starts at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday.

Shahbaz, 27, could make his India debut after being given a late call-up for the tour.

VVS Laxman has taken on head coach duties for the series, with Rahul Dravid afforded a rest.

VVS Laxman will take over as India head coach for the upcoming ODI series in Zimbabwe as Rahul Dravid takes a break.

Dravid has been given time off ahead of the Asia Cup, which starts on August 27, so fellow India legend Laxman will step up in his absence.

Laxman, the head of the National Cricket Academy, also took on head coach duties for the tour of Ireland.

India batting coach Vikram Rathourthe and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey have also been given time off, so Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Sairaj Bahutule will fill in for them in Zimbabwe.

Kanitkar was in charge of India's Under-19 Cricket World Cup winning team this year, and this will be his first assignment at senior level.

KL Rahul has been passed fit to captain India after recovering from injury and COVID-19.

The first of three ODIs at the Harare Sports Club will take place next Thursday.

KL Rahul has been named as India's captain for their three-match ODI tour of Zimbabwe this month, having been omitted from the initial 15-man squad.

Rahul was supposed to feature in India's tour of West Indies last month after recovering from a hernia operation, but missed out after testing positive for COVID-19.

The 30-year-old will now return to lead his country for the second time in the 50-over format after receiving medical clearance to play, with Shikhar Dhawan vice-captain.

India fell to a 3-0 series defeat in South Africa when Rahul last captained the team this year, and the batter has not played any competitive cricket since the conclusion of the 2022 Indian Premier League season.

Rahul hit an ODI century on his debut against Zimbabwe back in 2016, the first of five hundreds in the format.

The three-match series gets under way at Harare Sports Club on August 18.

India squad: KL Rahul (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar.

Shikhar Dhawan will retain ODI captaincy duties for the tour of Zimbabwe next month, while there will be no return for Virat Kohli.

Dhawan led India for the recent 3-0 whitewash of West Indies in the 50-over format, as Rohit Sharma was given a break before flying to the Caribbean for the ongoing Twenty20 International series.

Opener Dhawan will be the skipper again for three matches at Harare Sports Club, where Kohli will not get a chance to return to form.

Ravindra Jadeja, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant are among the other players who will not play in Zimbabwe, but batter Rahul Tripathi is set to make his debut.

Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav got the nod along with the fit-again Deepak Chahar in a 15-man squad for series that starts on August 18.

India squad : Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar.

Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor has been banned from international cricket until July 2025 after his late reporting of a spot-fixing plot.

The 35-year-old's three-and-a-half-year punishment was confirmed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday, after Taylor gave early notice of his fate in a statement at the start of the week.

Taylor said on Monday that he had been blackmailed by an Indian businessman, who paid him $15,000 to travel to India in 2019 to discuss sponsorships and the potential launch of a T20 competition in Zimbabwe.

Wicketkeeper-batter Taylor stated that he "foolishly took the bait" when he was offered cocaine on a night out for a celebratory dinner with the businessman and his colleagues after concluding discussions.

Taylor says he was "cornered" the following morning when six people "stormed into" his hotel room to show a video of him taking cocaine and say the footage would be made public if he refused to spot-fix in international matches.

Taylor said he was handed $15,000 as a "deposit" for spot-fixing and was told another $20,000 would be paid once the "job" was complete.

Although Taylor has insisted he never spot-fixed, a four-month delay in reporting the episode to the ICC has been his undoing.

He admitted to breaching three aspects of the ICC anti-corruption code relating to delayed disclosure, and one of "obstructing or delaying" an investigation.

Taylor said in his statement on Monday: "I may be many things but I am not a cheat."

He said he would be heading to a rehabilitation centre to "get clean" after admitting he has a drugs problem.

Taylor tested positive for a metabolite of cocaine after Zimbabwe's match against Ireland on September 8 2021, and the ICC said he had accepted a one-month ban for that offence, having taken the drug out of competition and with it having no relation to his performance.

Taylor will be eligible to return to cricket from July 28 2025, by which time he will be 39 years old. ICC integrity unit general manager Alex Marshall said Taylor "knew exactly what his obligations were" in regard to corruption and doping, and said it was "disappointing that a player of his experience chose not to fulfil those obligations".

Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor has revealed he is facing a "multi-year ban" from international cricket for delaying reporting a spot-fixing plot.

Taylor says he was blackmailed by an Indian businessman, who paid him USD $15,000 to travel to India to discuss sponsorships and potential launch of a T20 competition in Zimbabwe in 2019.

The 35-year-old says he had not been paid by Zimbabwe Cricket for six months and it was questionable whether his country would continue playing international cricket.

Wicketkeeper-batter Taylor stated that he "foolishly took the bait" when he was offered cocaine on a night out for a celebratory dinner with the businessman and his colleagues after concluding discussions.

Taylor says he was "cornered" the following morning when six people stormed into his hotel room to show him a video of him taking cocaine and told the footage would be made public if he refused to spot-fix in international matches.

The ex-Zimbabwe skipper says he was handed USD $15,000 as a "deposit" for spot-fixing and was told another USD $20,000 would be paid once the "job" was complete.

Taylor felt he had to take the money, so he was allowed go home but suffered with both his mental and physical health following the life-changing ordeal in India that has taken him to some "dark places".

He stated that he has never been involved in spot-fixing, but is facing a ban for not reporting what happened in India to the International Cricket Council for four months.

Taylor said in a statement: "The 'businessman' wanted a return on his investment which I could not and would not give. It took me 4 months to report this offence and interaction to the ICC.

"I acknowledge this was too long of a time but I thought I could protect everyone and in particular, my family.

"I approached the ICC on my own terms and I hoped that if I explained my predicament, my genuine fear for our safety and wellbeing, that they would understand the delay.

"Unfortunately, they did not, but I cannot feign ignorance in this regard. I have attended many anti-corruptions seminars over the years and we knew that time is of the essence when making reports.

"I would like to place on record that I have never been involved in any form of match-fixing. I may be many things but I am not a cheat.

"My love for the beautiful game of cricket far outweighs and surpasses any threat which could be thrown my way."

Taylor revealed he will check into a rehabilitation centre on Tuesday to "get clean" and to get his life "back on track" after living in "hell for years".