3 areas of concern for India following the 3rd T20I vs England ft. Mohammed Shami's return

England managed to worm their way back in the five-match series against India as they clinched the third T20I by 26 runs in Rajkot on Tuesday, January 28. Jos Buttler and company defended an arguably below-par 171, with the fast bowlers sharing eight wickets.

There were a few positives for India. Varun Chakaravarthy registered his second T20I five-wicket haul, joining Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav as the only two Indians to have achieved that feat. Hardik Pandya contributed in both departments, although his batting was a touch underwhelming.

At the same time, however, there were more questions than answers. The Men in Blue are going through a transition period, and things aren't clear as of now in multiple departments.

On that note, here are three areas of concern for India following their defeat in the third T20I against England.

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#3 Mohammed Shami looked a shadow of himself upon his return

India v England - 3rd T20I - Source: Getty

Mohammed Shami made his much-awaited return in India colors as he took to the field in Rajkot at the expense of the rested Arshdeep Singh. However, the fast bowler seemed to be a shadow of the man who ravaged oppositions in the 2023 World Cup.

Shami got the new ball to move around but didn't pose much threat. The veteran quick was quite a bit away from the 140 kph mark, and his run-up seemed a touch labored to the naked eye. He didn't finish his full quota of four overs as well, with Hardik Pandya bowling two of the last three.

It would've been acceptable if Shami had just returned, but he played a few months of domestic cricket in the lead-up to his international comeback. There are serious concerns over his fitness, with him being spotted with heavy knee strapping in all his practice sessions.

Shami has been picked as one of three fast bowlers in the Champions Trophy, and India will hope that he can find his best rhythm soon. The first T20I was a welcome start, but it wasn't too encouraging.

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#2 India couldn't clean up England's tail

India v England - 2nd T20I - Source: Getty

England were bulldozed by Chakaravarthy in the middle overs. The spinner's five-fer reduced them to 127/8 at the end of the 16th over, and India were in pole position to skittle the visitors cheaply.

However, India didn't execute their plans well against the tail. Liam Livingstone carted three sixes off Ravi Bishnoi to bring England back into the game, and the leg-spinner erred by not getting the big-hitter off strike. From there, the visitors reached 171, with even the last-wicket pair of Adil Rashid and Mark Wood putting together a 24-run stand.

Suryakumar Yadav had all his bowling resources intact barring Varun, and India should've done a better job at the death.

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#1 Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav haven't fired yet in the series

India v England - 3rd T20I - Source: Getty

Amid India's struggle in the chase, Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav's sustained failures stood out. The duo have been dismissed in a fairly repetitive fashion in the series so far, giving rise to concerns about their current form.

Samson was bounced out by Jofra Archer for the third game running, while Suryakumar's trademark pickup shot brought about his downfall against Wood. The Indian skipper has been without a notable score for a while now, and India will hope that it isn't a case of age causing a decline in hand-eye coordination.

In the remaining two T20Is, Samson and Suryakumar's form will be one of India's biggest concerns. The duo need to step up, especially the former, with the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill waiting in the wings.