After the thrilling ODI encounter between India and Australia in Mohali on September 22, former India's star spinner Piyush Chawla weighed in on the burning debate about the inclusion of Mohammed Shami over Shardul Thakur for the forthcoming World Cup.
Mohammed Shami, in the Mohali ODI, was nothing short of spectacular. The pacer, with his impeccable bowling skills, clinched five vital wickets for a mere 51 runs. This not only marked his best ODI performance but was also pivotal in limiting the Australian squad to a total of 276. His cricketing genius resonated well with the pitch conditions; initially, harnessing the new ball's swing with fuller deliveries and then adjusting to shorter lengths. Shami's standout performance played a decisive role in India's dominant five-wicket victory over the Aussies.
Conversely, Shardul Thakur's outing wasn't as impressive. Renowned for being a dependable all-rounder, capable of clutch wickets and valuable runs towards the innings' end, Shardul failed to leave a mark this time. An expensive 10-over spell cost India 78 runs without a single wicket from him. The fans' discontent grew when a catch was dropped off his bowling in the early stages, courtesy of Shreyas Iyer.
During an insightful discussion on Cricinfo, Chawla emphasized his preference for a bowler of Shami's caliber over Thakur for the World Cup. Highlighting Shardul's contributions with the bat, Chawla mentioned, “100% agree with you? Because if we talk about Shardul's batting also, it's not that somebody will come and give you those quick fire 30, 40 runs off 20 balls. He's a good player for a run a ball sometimes maybe like 24-ball 25 runs.”
Chawla elaborated, And if you talk about his bowling, I agree that he has picked up wickets and he has got quite a few of them. But his economy rate is always on the high side, and if you talk about the conditions where India is going to play, most of the wicket is going to be a bit flat. So you need somebody who's like a proper bowler, who can come in one change and still bowl at the 135-140 mark."
In the ever-evolving landscape of international cricket, strategies and player selections are crucial. With the World Cup on the horizon, the debate on the right combination for Team India is set to intensify, with expert opinions like Chawla's adding more layers to the discussion.
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