Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has applauded the Indian bowlers’ match-winning performance in their 2023 World Cup clash against England. However, Team India set the defending champions a 230-run target after being asked to bat first in Lucknow on Sunday, October 29. Their bowlers then bowled out Jos Buttler and company for 129 to complete convincing a 100-run win as well.
Reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said: “Let’s focus on India’s bowling first. As they say – batters win you matches but it’s the bowlers who win you tournaments and this team’s bowling unit is wow. The team scored 229 in total in a 50-over game and won by 100 runs against an England team, which says they will do amazing things. The way Bumrah moved the new ball and then Mohammed Shami – sensational Shami, fantastic Shami, absolutely spectacular Shami. I was slightly disappointed that he wasn’t given the new ball. He came after two or three overs.”
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Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah claimed the first two wickets before finishing with figures of 3/32 in 6.5 overs whereas Shami finished with a spell of 4/22 in seven overs against England as well. While talking about how both Bumrah and Shami were on hat-tricks, Aakash Chopra added that Ben Stokes was confused about the latter as well.
“First Bumrah went around the stumps and dismissed Dawid Malan, and then Joe Root off the first ball from over the stumps. He was on a hat-trick and so was Mohammed Shami. There was an amazing over to Ben Stokes. Not even one ball hit the bat. If the ball is not hitting the bat and you play a shot like that, you do that in only two situations – either you are extremely confident or you want to run after breaking jail. This time he turned his back and ran away from a fight,” Aakash Chopra concluded. “Then Kuldeep came and embarrassed you, the way he dismissed Jos Buttler. Ravindra Jadeja left Chris Woakes stranded halfway down the pitch, and then Shami and Bumrah again at the death. It is an unbelievable bowling unit.”
