"Bumrah and Shami will together take more than 4 wickets" - Aakash Chopra makes his predictions for the 2nd India vs England ODI
Aakash Chopra expects Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami to again be amongst the wickets in the second ODI against England.
The second game of the three-match ODI series will be played at Lord's on Thursday, July 14. Bumrah and Shami snared nine wickets between them in the first match at The Oval as the Men in Blue registered a comprehensive 10-wicket win.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra predicted the two premier Indian pacers to strike a rich haul with the ball at Lord's as well, elaborating:
"Bumrah and Shami will together take more than four wickets again. Bumrah is doing the magic, he picked up six wickets in the last match. The slope will make him even more dangerous, that's what I feel."
However, the cricketer-turned-commentator expects handsome contributions from Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow with the bat. Aakash Chopra reasoned:
"Although there were ducks against Joe Root and Ben Stokes' names in the last match, but I feel here Joe Root, Buttler and Bairstow will together score more than 125 runs. You will say that the entire team had together scored 110 last time but I feel it will not happen like that, a slighter flatter pitch will be given."
Root and Bairstow were dismissed for a duck and seven runs respectively in the first ODI between the two sides. Buttler, with his 30-run knock, was the top run-getter for the hosts in that encounter.
"One of Rohit and Dhawan will score more than 70 runs" - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra reckons at least one out of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will play a substantial knock. He observed:
"One of Rohit and Dhawan will score more than 70 runs. Who will do that, I don't know, although both have looked in very good form. Rohit Sharma was hitting sixes after sixes, the shorter you bowl, the longer shots he will hit. I didn't understand why they were bowling short. Short ball, bad ball, 24-carat pure shot."
Most Century partnership in ODIs:-
•Sachin & Ganguly - 26
•Dilshan & Sangakkara - 20
•Rohit & Kohli - 18
•Rohit & Dhawan - 18
The 44-year-old concluded by predicting an England win in the game. Aakash Chopra said:
"Last but not the least, what you all have been waiting for, and you told me many times to do that, I said let me do that - England to win, series 1-1, but you know what that means."
Team India sealed the preceding T20I series between the two sides by winning the first two games. They will hope to do an encore in the ODIs as well by putting it across the world champions in the second game on Thursday.