"His rhythm has not come good in this match" - Aakash Chopra on India's bowling on Day 1 of the Headingley Test

Aakash Chopra has pinpointed that Ishant Sharma seemed to lack rhythm while reviewing India's bowling performance on the first day of the Headingley Test.

The Indian bowlers failed to exert any pressure on the English batsmen after the visitors' batting lineup was blown away by the hosts' pacers. The England openers have stitched together an unbroken 120-run partnership and have looked comfortable in the middle.

While speaking about India's bowling effort in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra pointed out that Ishant Sharma seemed out of sorts. He elaborated:

"Bowling was fairly okay. The pressure was never created from both ends. Ishant Sharma is still finding rhythm. I don't know something has happened, his rhythm has not come good in this match."

The former Indian opener added that Jasprit Bumrah bowled decently well. Aakash Chopra observed:

"Bumrah is looking good. He got an edge as well but that catch was dropped."

Bumrah induced an outside edge off Haseeb Hameed's willow when the batsman was on 47. Unfortunately, Rohit Sharma could not hold on to the catch and the ball even went to the boundary to take the England opener to his half-century.

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"They got Mohammed Siraj very late" - Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra highlighted that Mohammed Siraj was given a slightly old ball

Aakash Chopra expressed surprise at Mohammed Siraj not being given the ball in the first 18 overs of the England innings. He said:

"They got Mohammed Siraj very late, he bowled the 18th over, I was a little surprised."

We're 13 overs into the innings and the best bowler from the last Test match is yet to bowl.Opening the bowling with an out of rhythm Ishant was a poor enough move, and now this!Average tactics, to say the very least.#ENGvIND #ENGvsIND

— Shaan Waseem (@shaanwaseem2) August 25, 2021

While acknowledging that the pitch does not have much to offer for the seamers, the reputed commentator stated that Mohammed Shami could have probably bowled better. Aakash Chopra explained:

"I was expecting a bit more from Shami. I am still expecting a bit more but the pitch is slow and you are getting a lot of time. If India had lost just one or two wickets in the first session, they would have made England chase the leather in the next two sessions. But that did not happen and England is in the driver's seat."

The Indian bowlers will have to rise to the occasion on Thursday if the visitors harbor any ambition of staging a comeback in the Test match. They will have to restrict England's lead to as little as possible as the match seems to be going beyond India's reach.

The last two days of Test cricket this series..5th day at Lords: India 117/2 in 27.3 overs, England 120/10 in 51.5 overs1st day at Leeds: India 78/10 in 40.4 overs, England 120/0* in 42 overs#turnaround #reversal#EngvInd #EngvsInd#IndvEng #IndvsEng

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) August 25, 2021