The next time Shahadat played was when Bangladesh hosting India for two Tests in January 2010. In the lead up to the first match Indian batsman Virender Sehwag called the Bangladesh bowling attack ordinary, provoking anger amongst the team. India were dismissed for 234 in the first innings, with Shahdat taking 5/71. It was the third time he had taken a five-wicket haul in a Test innings. Captain Shakib Al Hasan remarked that " didn't bowl all that well; he can bowl much better than this. But it's good for his confidence that he got wickets, as he is on a comeback." Bangladesh were unable to build on their early success and went on to lose the series 2–0. Shahadat was his team's second-highest wicket-taker across the two Tests, but after taking a five-wicket haul in the first innings of the series he managed just two more. Between October 2008 and March 2010, Shahadat endured a lean spell in which he took 18 Test wickets at an average of 67.50. His bowling average in this period was amongst the worst for the 20 innings before a bowler took a five-wicket haul in Tests.