'Mohammed Shami roared like a lion' - Aakash Chopra recalls how R Ashwin fired up pacer by speaking to him in Tamil

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has recalled an incident when Ravichandran Ashwin's Tamil words to Mohammed Shami fired up the latter. The reputed commentator spoke about this hilarious episode, which occurred in the 3rd Test between England and India in 2016, in a video shared on his Facebook page.

Aakash Chopra mentioned that Mohammed Shami had come running in hard but was struck for a boundary, with R Ashwin asking the speedster in Tamil what he was up to.

"Shami came running from in front of the sight screen, nice rhythmic run-up, good jump but got hit for a boundary. Shami was dejected and Ashwin was agitated. Ashwin went to Shami and asked him in Tamil what he was doing."

Aakash Chopra observed that Ashwin's talk might have somewhat fired up Mohammed Shami. But the next delivery was again struck for a boundary, and the off-spinner was again in the right-arm pacer's ears.

"Because of that Shami might have got a little charged up. But the next delivery was also hit for a boundary. England batsmen are happy and Shami was dejected again. Ashwin again rushed to Shami and said that he cannot bowl like that."

---

Aakash Chopra on Mohammed Shami's fiery bowling post the conversation with Ashwin

Mohammed Shami got rid of a couple of England batsmen with short-pitched deliveries

Aakash Chopra recalled that Mohammed Shami had got agitated but instead of losing focus, he bowled a brute of a bouncer to dismiss an England batsman.

"Shami got angry but would he lose his focus because of the heated discussion between him and Ashwin? Shami bowled a short delivery and the batsman is dismissed. Shami roared like a lion."

The 42-year-old Aakash Chopra stated that Ashwin was still in Mohammed Shami's ears, with the latter getting rid of the next batsmen as well to exact his revenge.

"Ashwin again said something to Shami. Shami had another rush of blood in his head. The next batsman took stance but was dismissed as well. Shami had taken revenge of the two boundaries with a couple of wickets."

Aakash Chopra revealed that when Ashwin was asked what he had told the Bengal pacer, the wily off-spinner had responded that he had only asked the latter what he was doing.

"But what did Ashwin tell Shami that his blood started boiling? Ashwin told me that he had only asked Shami in Tamil what he was doing."

"'I don't know what he understood and took a couple of wickets. From next time onwards, I am only going to talk to him in Tamil', Ashwin had said."

Mohammed Shami dismissed Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid with sharp bouncers in the 84th over of England's 2nd innings in the 3rd Test at Mohali. The breakthroughs helped India dismiss England for 236 runs as the host nation went on to register a comprehensive 8-wicket victory.

#IndvsEng 3rd Test, Day 4: Shami to Woakes, OUT! Bouncer with new ball does the trick for Ind. Eng 195/8, lead by 61 https://t.co/MKgC8WoXFO

— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) November 29, 2016