Harare, July 23 -- India won the toss and opted to bowl first against Zimbabwe in the first match of the three-match T20I series at Harare, on Thursday. Pacer Ashok Sharma marks his international debut for the Men in Blue.

After winning the toss, Shreyas Iyer chose to bowl first, expecting some bounce in the pitch based on the practice wickets, though he admitted he was unsure how the surface would actually play since it was his first time at the venue. He praised Zimbabwe for their strong performances over the past couple of years, particularly at the World Cup, highlighting both their batting and bowling. Iyer also confirmed that his team would field three seamers and one spinner.

"We are going to bowl first. This is my first time her...