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Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami made his return to India’s playing XI for the fifth and final T20I against Jos Buttler’s England on Sunday, February 2, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Shami replaced Arshdeep Singh, who was just one wicket away from breaking Haris Rauf’s record to become the fastest fast bowler to reach 100 T20I wickets.
Reason behind Arshdeep Singh’s absence
Arshdeep’s omission from the playing XI raised questions, but it was likely a strategic decision to manage his workload ahead of upcoming tournaments. The young left-arm pacer has been India’s go-to fast bowler in the shortest format, and with major tournaments like the T20 World Cup approaching, the team management likely wanted to preserve him for crucial fixtures rather than risk fatigue or injury.
India’s stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav explained the decision to bat first, emphasizing the importance of taking responsibility in high-pressure games.
“We wanted to bat first as it looks like a good wicket. Hopefully, there won’t be much dew. The stadium is packed, and the energy is incredible. We want our players to take responsibility, and so far, they have stepped up well. You will fail sometimes, especially when playing an aggressive, high-risk brand of cricket, but we back our approach. Shami comes in for Arshdeep as part of our rotation,” Suryakumar said.
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Arrival of Mohammed Shami
Shami, 34, had previously featured in the third T20I on January 28 in Rajkot, where he struggled to make an impact, finishing with figures of 3-0-25-0 as India lost the match by 26 runs. Despite his lack of wickets, the team management decided to bring him back for the series finale, giving the experienced fast bowler another opportunity to prove his form. Young fast bowler Harshit Rana, who made his T20I debut in Pune as a concussion substitute, was not included in the playing XI. While Rana showed promise, India opted to go with a more experienced pace attack for the final game. On the other hand, Shivam Dube, who missed the previous match due to injury, was recalled to the squad. Dube had been a key contributor earlier in the series, and his return strengthened India’s all-round balance.
England’s tactical change: Mark Wood replaces Saqib Mahmood
England also made a key change, bringing in Mark Wood in place of Saqib Mahmood. Wood, who had picked up just two wickets in three games, was looking for a strong finish to the series. With the series already decided in India’s favor, England hoped that the inclusion of the express pacer would help them end the series on a positive note. At the toss, England skipper Jos Buttler admitted that while his team had played well in patches, they failed to execute key moments effectively.
“We played some good cricket in patches but should have executed better. Need to grab those special moments in the game. There’s a great atmosphere here, and it’s a fantastic venue to play at. Mark Wood comes back in for us. Both teams have some impact players, so it should be a high-intensity match,” Buttler said.
