Mohammed Shami's India comeback questioned; Arshdeep Singh namedropped

Mohammed Shami's much-anticipated return to international cricket after 14 months didn't go as expected, as he failed to live up to the hype and expectations in the third T20I match between India and England on Tuesday, January 28, in Rajkot.

Mohammed Shami had been sidelined since the ODI World Cup 2023 final against Australia. However, Mohammed Shami had been playing domestic cricket for the past few months, but the Rajkot game was his first appearance in the national colors since India’s heartbreaking final loss.

However, Mohammed Shami, who is known for his ability to take wickets and trouble the stumps, appeared rusty in his comeback encounter against England. He bowled three overs, conceding 25 runs at an economy rate of 8.30, but was unable to take any wickets in Rajkot.

Mohammed Shami is back, but he is also rusty: Aakash Chopra

Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra shared his thoughts on Mohammed Shami's return to international cricket. Chopra pointed out that Shami looked a bit rusty but admitted that it will take some time for the seasoned pacer to get back to his usual rhythm and perform at his best again.

Read Also: Varun Chakravarthy attacks Indian batsmen after India lose to England in the 3rd T20I

Aakash Chopra said on Star Sports after the Rajkot T20I: “Mohammed Shami is back, but he is also rusty. This is one thing that I understood from the third T20I. Shami made a comeback, but it will take some time for the machine to heat up.”

Speaking about the Men in Blue’s bowling strategy, the cricket pandit has noted that it is absolutely clear that India wants to field four spinners, as the venues are changing, but the strategy has not changed so far in the ongoing five-match T20I series against England.

Chopra said: “On one hand, whether it is Arshdeep Singh or Mohammed Shami, on the other hand, Hardik Pandya is bowling with the new ball. So, it's giving us a bit more insight into India's tactics.”

Aakash Chopra hails Varun Chakravarthy but slams Indian batters

The former Indian batter also showered rich praise on Varun Chakravarthy, saying the mystery spinner’s comeback to the T20I team is “absolutely phenomenal.”. Chopra has pointed out that the England batters didn't understand Chakravarthy’s spin and his mystery at all.

Sharing his thoughts on India's narrow loss in Rajkot, Aaksh Chopra noted, “Personally, I felt that it was a chasable total that we could not overhaul. And there were some minor problems. Three in three times for Sanju Samson. I'm talking about Jofra Archer. Almost identical dismissals.”

Read Also: "Can't hit every ball"- Suryakumar Yadav's reputation tarnished after a string of low scores vs England

The commentator has further mentioned that the Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav got out on the same shot in the first three T20Is against England. Chopra was not also happy with India’s batting order. He stated, “Personally, I felt that it didn't really work out well. Dhruv Jurel was playing only purely as a batter, but he was kept at number eight.”

England controlled the game in Rajkot: Aakash Chopra

He felt that England's fast bowlers controlled the game better, while India's batting struggled in Rajkot. The cricket pundit also pointed out that runs didn’t come from India’s top-4 batters, and that played a major role in the Men in Blue’s defeat in the third game against England.

Chopra signed off by saying, “I thought England, with their fast bowlers, controlled the game better. And the Indian batting was a little weak in this particular game. Because the runs didn't come from one, two, three, or four.”

"Shami is back, but Shami is also Rusty," says @cricketaakash on India’s loss in the 3rd T20I and what needs to be done moving forward. 📝

Do you agree with Aakash Chopra? 🤔#INDvENGOnJioStar 👉 4th T20I | FRI, JAN 31, 6 PM on Disney+ Hotstar & Star Sports! | #KhelAasmani pic.twitter.com/txf8IkWUpX

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 29, 2025