Mohammed Shami was praised by Aakash Chopra for delivering a powerful spell in India’s World Cup 2023 match against New Zealand.
Mohammed Shami took 5/54 in 10 overs to help the Men in Blue bowl out the Kiwis for 273 at Dharamsala on Sunday, October 22. The hosts then chased down the target with four wickets and two overs to spare, climbing to the top of the points table with five straight victories.
In a video posted to his YouTube page, Chopra lauded the Indian bowlers, particularly Mohammed Shami, for producing a remarkable comeback when New Zealand appeared to be on their way to a large score. He stated:
“The story would have looked extremely different if 300 had been scored. The Indian bowlers made a stellar comeback. Shami picked up five wickets. He picked up five wickets in Mohali as well (against Australia). You give him a flat pitch and he picks up a five-wicket haul.”
Aakash Chopra
The former India opener questioned whether Rohit Sharma and his teammates should leave out the experienced seamer for the sake of batting depth. He went on to say:
“No one looks close to him when he is in form. It is a fact, listen to it, understand it, and think about it. You think about leaving him out because you need batting at No. 8 but if it’s Shami’s day and he gives you 5 wickets, you don’t need batting at No. 8.”
Aakash Chopra
Will Young inside-edged the first ball Mohammed Shami delivered against his stumps. He finished his five-wicket haul after dismissing Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, and Daryl Mitchell.
Aakash Chopra praises Mohammed Shami for restricting the opposition to 275 in World Cup
According to Aakash Chopra, Mohammed Shami’s wicket-taking burst helped India limit New Zealand to a manageable goal. He stated, “
“If Mohammed Shami had not played this match, the opposing team might have made 305, and 305 wouldn’t have been chased. Either Ravichandran Ashwin or Shardul Thakur would have come at No. 8 and it wouldn’t have gotten chased.”
Aakash Chopra
The renowned analyst went on to say that he would choose a specialist bowler like Shami over an all-rounder like Shardul Thakur. He noticed:
“If there is a toss-up between the two, I would say go with your full bowlers, because if it’s a good day for the bowler, he will make it count. The bowler you are making sit outside is actually an amazing wicket-taker. He picked up a five-wicket haul and was the Player of the Match.”
Aakash Chopra
Chopra also lauded the economical bowling of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Ravindra Jadeja. He emphasized that while the three only took two wickets between them, their periods allowed wickets to be taken from the other end.