Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra was surprised to note that Mohammed Shami bowling only one over in the warm-up match against Australia at the Gabba, Brisbane on Monday. Shami needed game time under his belt but Rohit Sharma saved him till the end.
Indian captain later revealed that he wanted to give a different challenge to Shami when the hosts required 11 runs in the last over. Shami is well known to seam and swing the new ball but he was not given a chance to bowl by Rohit Sharma.
Shami was able to deliver in the final over as he scalped three wickets. Australia needed seven runs off the last four balls but India got four wickets in the end.
Chopra shed light on Shami bowling only six deliveries as he was expected to bowl more in the warm-up match.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “Mohammed Shami got just six deliveries. That’s all you allowed him to bowl. We were all surprised by that. Warm-up matches are generally used to try different things and give chances to your players.”
He added: “We were all hoping that Shami would get an over, but the skipper didn’t do that. It looked as if India wouldn’t be able to win the game when Australia needed 11 off six balls.
“But then, Shami came and bowled yorkers after yorkers. He bowled just one short ball, the rest were all yorkers.”
Chopra added that Shami was able to prove his mettle by bowling accurate yorkers in the final over.
“It took just six balls for Mohammed Shami to show the world that he was right here. It was like him saying that Jasprit Bumrah might not be there, but I am here.
“He showed that he can be the answer to India’s problems and that he can also deliver in the 20th over. While India didn’t play him in T20s, he proved that he can do the job for them now when he has finally got a chance.”
India will play their second warm-up match against New Zealand at the Gabba, Brisbane on Wednesday.
