Former Indian cricketer and team director Ravi Shastri on Wednesday said that the first 20 overs on each day of the match between India and England in Mumbai will be crucial for both teams.
“Initial 20 overs will be really tough but batsmen will score well in post lunch sessions as the Mumbai pitch plays well in afternoon sessions,” Ravi Shastri said in India TV’s show Cricket Ki Baat today.
He added that the toss will not matter much as both teams will play under similar conditions.
Shastri, a Mumbaikar himself, however cautioned Indian batsmen as the conditions in Mumbai could work in favour of English fast bowlers.
“Mumbai pitch plays really well on second and third day,” Shahstri said.
On Indian bowling spearhead Mohammad Shami, whose inclusion in the playing eleven is doubtful, Shastri said the pacer will be hugely missed by the team.
Shami is nursing a sore knee and medium pacer Shardul Thakur has been called as back-up for him.
Earlier in the day, India captain Virat Kohli said that a call on whether the UP-born Bengal pace bowler Shami will play would be taken this evening.
"We are going to take a call in the evening in terms of how he (Mohammed Shami) is feeling with his knee. After the Mohali Test he felt soreness in his knee, so we need to take a corrective call all on that," said Kohli at the Wankhede Stadium.
Shastri said Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a good bowler but he needs Shami at the other end.
He added that spinner R Ashwin and Jayant Yadav both will get advantage from the pitch.
