Analysis
Three reasons why Mohammed Shami should not replace Shradul Thakur
Mohammed Shami has been stellar form but he has only made a case for himself to be selected ahead of Shardul Thakur.
India defeated the Pat Cummins-led team by 5 wickets in Mohali to win the opening match of the three-match ODI series against Australia. Shami was named player of the game, and his success has now presented management with a conundrum.
Both teams are keen to perfect their plans for the quadrennial tournament, thus the series, which is going to be played as a warm-up towards the ODI World Cup 2023, is crucial. The debate between Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Shami as the third pacer is heating up.
Three reasons why Mohammed Shami should not replace Shradul Thakur
1) More batting depth
Shardul Thakur (source-Twitter)
Thakur has stronger batting abilities than Mohammed Shami, who is unquestionably the superior bowler, but Thakur still has a little advantage. The other major sides, including Pakistan, Australia, England, as well as New Zealand, all have very deep batting lineups.
This is crucial because, in a competition such as the World Cup, there aren’t many tolerances for error, making even tiny contributions quite valuable. Thakur should thus be chosen over Shami in order to maintain team balance.
2) Ability to take wickets at regular intervals
Mohammed Shami (source-Twitter)
Shardul Thakur seems to have been in excellent form lately and has performed admirably for the team holding the ball. Thakur has taken wickets in 11 games this year, going without a wicket just twice. It should be mentioned that he only bowled two overs in one of the two games.
He has established himself as a significant wicket-taking option over time and has developed a reputation for breaking partnerships. Shami has recently demonstrated a propensity to leak runs, despite the fact that he may be inconsistent at times.
3) More freedom for batters
Shardul Thakur (source-Twitter)
Just having Shardul Thakur part of the lineup will allow the batters a great deal of freedom to perform without worrying about failing. The top, as well as middle-order batsmen, may feel pressured to play cautiously if India‘s batting concludes at position seven in order to prevent losing too many wickets early.
However, if Thakur continues to play, they will be more confident because they will know that there is plenty of depth in their batting unit even if they struggle. The Indian squad is already under a lot of stress, so they definitely don’t need any more problems.
