Delhi: There was a lot of talk about the return of Mohammed Shami in the first T20 match played between India and England at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Shami made a place in the team after about 14 months. Amid questions over Jasprit Bumrah's fitness, Shami's return a few weeks before the Champions Trophy was considered important for Indian cricket. But, surprisingly, Shami was not included in the playing XI against England.
Aakash Chopra told fitness as the reason
India played only one fast bowler in this match, Arshdeep Singh, while Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy provided fast bowling support. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra linked Shami's not playing to his fitness.
Chopra wrote on social media, “Shami did not play. Obviously he was not 100% fit. India decided to field with only one main fast bowler Arshdeep. Hardik and Nitish were other options. England fielded four specialist fast bowlers. “Both teams saw the pitch differently.”
captain's statement
However, Shami was seen bowling during the pre-match warm-up. This raises questions about his fitness. When captain Suryakumar Yadav was asked after the match, he called it a strategic decision and said, “We wanted to go with our strength.”
Abhishek Sharma, who played a explosive inning of 79 runs in 34 balls, said, “The team management looked at the pitch and decided that this would be the best option.”
Gautam Gambhir's strategy
Gambhir probably did not want a senior player who had returned after 14 months to be fielded in such conditions where his bowling could have been easy for England's aggressive batsmen.
Shami bowled for more than half an hour in the nets. He had a bandage on his knee, but he bowled with full force. However, it is believed that the swelling in the knee is still causing his problems.
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