Harare: India handed one-day international debuts to three players as their three-match series against Zimbabwe got underway at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.

Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and batsmen Karun Nair and KL Rahul all earned their first cap, as India fielded just three players from their last ODI against Australia in Sydney.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was one of them, having been selected to lead an inexperienced squad after the majority of India's big stars were left at home.

Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl, expecting the early morning start to give his seam bowlers some assistance before the pitch flattened out under the winter sun.

Teams Zimbabwe: Chamu Chibhabha, Hamilton Masakadza, Richmond Mutumbami, Vusi Sibanda, Craig Ervine, Sikandar Raza Butt, Peter Moor, Elton Chigumbura, Graeme Cremer, Taurai Muzarabani, Tendai Chatara.

India: KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Axar Patel, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Barinder Sran, Yuzvendra Chahal.