"Why didn't they start with Bumrah and Shami?" - Aakash Chopra 'disappointed' with India missing a trick on Day 3
Aakash Chopra has expressed his disappointment with India missing a trick on Day 3 of the first Test at Trent Bridge. The cricketer-turned-commentator feels Virat Kohli should have opened the bowling with his best bowlers - Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah - instead of Mohammed Siraj before Tea on Friday to redouble their advantage.
After taking a substantial 95-run lead in the first innings, India bowled 11 overs to the England openers before the day was washed out. Bumrah and Siraj opened with the new ball before Tea, unlike Bumrah and Shami, in the first innings. Siraj and Shami bowled three overs each after the break. The hosts' openers survived all spells and added 25 runs as well. Aakash Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel:
"95 run lead is sizeable, it's not a huge lead but it's not bad either. But after that, I was slightly disappointed because why didn't they start with Bumrah and Shami? It was just a six-over spell before Tea and that's when you have to crack it. Nothing against Siraj, I love him but starting with your best bowlers could have been the wiser thing to do."
Aakash Chopra also said the pacers should have tried the over-the-stumps angle to mix things up a bit as well. He added:
"Even after Tea, it just kept rotating plus there was too much bowling from around the stumps, they had to try a bit from over the stumps as well."
"Ravindra Jadeja has silenced his critics" - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra also waxed lyrical on Ravindra Jadeja, who scored a game-changing 86-ball 56 in the first innings. He said the all-rounder has "silenced his critics" with his maturity and nous. Aakash Chopra signed off:
"All praise will fall short for him. There was a debate before the match started and I was also of the opinion that India should have played Ashwin. I asked for two spinners. But you just played Jaddu and he has silenced his critics. How can you not play him now? The way he batted, all the runs were on the on-side. He was leaving, blocking and respecting all off-side deliveries and forcing the bowlers to bowl at his strength and then score runs. Maturity has been a game changer for Ravindra Jadeja, the Test player."
The weather forecast for Day 4 isn't encouraging and India will hope for a few quick wickets from whoever takes the new ball. England, on the other hand, will play their natural game and wait for their opponents to make a desperate mistake.