3rd T20I: Shami Returns as India Bowls First Against England
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Synopsis
Mohammed Shami returns to international cricket after 14 months as India opted to bowl first against England in the 3rd T20I at Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. The match marks a crucial point in the series as India seeks to clinch a 3-0 lead.
Key Takeaways
- Mohammed Shami returns after a long break.
- India leads the series 2-0.
- Arshdeep Singh is rested for this match.
- Both teams are eager to perform well on a good pitch.
- Jamie Smith will keep wickets for England.
Rajkot, Jan 28 (NationPress) Pacer Mohammed Shami makes his comeback to international cricket after a hiatus of 14 months as India won the toss and chose to bowl first against England in the third T20I at the Niranjan Shah Stadium on Tuesday.
Shami takes the place of fellow pacer Arshdeep Singh, who has been given a rest for this match. India aims to clinch the five-match series with a victory here, having already taken a 2-0 lead in Chennai, aided by Tilak Varma's impressive unbeaten score of 72.
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav stated, "We will bowl first, looks nice and hard, don't think it will change later as well. Rajkot has always been a reliable pitch; we expect it to offer a fair contest. We wanted to adopt a different approach, but we must also adapt to the circumstances and he (Tilak) saved the game for us. We view this as a three-match series from here; the boys are excited. Arshdeep is resting, and Shami is back in action."
On the other hand, England captain Jos Buttler mentioned, "It appears to be a great surface, and we are eager to bat. We would have opted to chase as well. The pitch looks promising; our players had a solid practice yesterday, and we are looking forward to the match. We fought hard in the previous game and need to perform well tonight. We know India is a formidable team, and we need a solid total to defend. Same team composition, but Jamie Smith will take on wicketkeeping duties as Salt is dealing with a minor calf issue."
Playing XIs:
England: Philip Salt, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler(c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith(w), Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
India: Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Dhruv Jurel, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy.
