Aakash Chopra has opened up about an unusual and memorable exchange with England all-rounder Moeen Ali during the 2016 India-England Test series-one that began with public trolling and ended with an apology.
Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra's YouTube channel, the former India opener revealed how his technical analysis of Moeen's batting triggered an unexpected reaction from the English cricketer.
Chopra was working as an analyst for Cricinfo at the time and had highlighted what he believed was a persistent flaw in Moeen's game. According to him, the England batter struggled when targeted with short-pitched bowling.
Describing the breakdown he presented, Chopra recalled, "I said something about Moeen Ali's problems against the short ball. I felt that
the short ball should be used against him because he doesn't have the defensive game for it, and you can create a trap by putting two fielders back. So, we made a demo showing why he can't play the short ball. "
But Chopra's analysis aired just before Moeen scored a century in the final Test in Chennai-a timing that didn't sit well with the England star. Not long after the innings, Moeen took to social media to hit back, posting Chopra's career statistics as a pointed jab. Chopra remembered the moment with a laugh:
"A fellow cricketer trolled me. If the fans are trolling you, you get used to it. He posted my stats. He was obviously upset. As he was a fellow cricketer, I replied to him that at least you don't have a problem with my analysis. You have a problem with my stats, I agree, but you didn't find a fault in my analysis because that's my job now. "
Ironically, the very next morning, India executed the exact short-ball plan Chopra had suggested. Ishant Sharma bowled bouncers with a packed deep field, and Moeen eventually fell into the trap after initially hitting a boundary. The dismissal gave Chopra a quiet sense of validation.
Although he never brought up the incident again, Moeen later approached him with an unexpected gesture of sportsmanship. Chopra revealed, "He apologised afterwards. He said, 'Sorry. I shouldn't have reacted. What I said was wrong'. "
What began as a public dig ultimately ended in mutual respect between the two cricketers.
