Mohammad Shami returns but England prevails in third T20I

RAJKOT: Mohammad Shami returned to international cricket in the third T20I against England, marking his first appearance in over a year since injury.

The third T20 International (T20I) between India and England was played at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, India on Tuesday.

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The Indian player’s last outing with his national team was in the ODI World Cup final against Australia in November 2023, where he was already supporting an ankle injury.

Following surgery in February 2024, he would not return to the T20 scene until this year, in the series against England.

The Rajkot pitch is known for its high-scoring potential. With friendly batting conditions, an anxious Mohammad Shami was eager to demonstrate a good performance after a lengthy absence. However, it ended up being a big disappointment, with the Indian bowler yielding 25 runs over three overs. He did not take a single wicket either.

The bowler had replaced Arshdeep Singh in playing XI. After Suryakumar Yadac won the toss, the South Asian team opted to bowl first.

Shami’s very first ball was recorded at 134.6 kilometre per hour, hinting at a return to form. He conceded only six runs in his first over, while standing against Phil Salt, known for being a beast with the bat.

In his second over, the 34-year-old was able to apply some pressure on another good batter, Jos Buttler. However, then Ben Duckette took over, slamming the fast bowler with a six.

In his third over, Mohammad Shami faced a monumental task as the English were at 151 for 9. Varun Chakravarthy’s bowling helped India gain momentum as his took five wickets, applying huge pressure on the English batters.

Shami tried his best, even attempting his signature ‘moves’, but could not prevent Adil Rashid and Mark Wood from scoring ten runs in the over.

The Indian fast bowler ended his run by conceding 25 runs in his allotted three overs –a lacklustre performance and a stark contrast to the roar of excellence he typically exhibits.

The third India vs England match saw the former struggle with the bat, despite the batting-friendly pitch. The Men in Blue scored a mere 145 runs in response to England’s total of 171.

Hardik Pandya was the top scorer with 40 runs (off 35 balls), followed by a wide margin by Abhishek Sharma at 24 (off 14 balls).

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The Blue Shirts lost wickets at regular intervals, failing to build momentum.

Meanwhile, English bowlers, particularly Jamie Overton (three wickets) and Jofra Archer (two wickets), helped greatly restrict Indian batters from scoring