Mohammed Shami’s reassuring presence is extremely vital in India’s ODI set-up at a time when Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been unavailable mostly due to injury. On Saturday, Mohammed Shami proved his worth yet again, destroying the opposition New Zealand’s top-order and was awarded Man of the Match for picking 3/18 in the 2nd ODI.
Swinging the ball like a banana while slipping in the odd bouncer, he could have added to his tally, and perhaps bagged a fifer too, but the Kiwis folded up way too early managing only 107 runs. There was some help for the Indian seamers on a pitch which was still a bit damp, but Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav still deserve credit for bowling a nagging line and length.
Mohammed Shami’s Aim Is To Contribute In Every Game
Mohammed Shami starred in the first innings during the second ODI as India pinned New Zealand down to just 108 runs, chasing the total with 29.5 overs to spare. The seamer registered bowling figures of 3/18 off six overs of bowling.
“The conditions were not as good as it seemed. They got out early, but conditions were not overtly bowler friendly. We dismissed them cheaply by bowling a testing length,” Shami said.
Featuring in the side as the senior-most bowler and in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami suggested that his role in the current side wasn’t any more different to what he has been used to since the inception of his India career.
On being quizzed about his role in the team now, Shami said: “My role hasn’t changed since I have come into the team. The only thing is to keep working on the fitness and diet. We have got big events coming up, so the aim is to contribute in every game.”
There’s a bit of Zaheer Khan in Mohammed Shami. Apart from swinging the ball to all corners, Mohammed Shami, like Zaheer Khan loves to play as many matches as possible. Match practice, he believes, is the key to finding the right rhythm.
Mohammed Shami Prefers Playing Games Over Practice
Keeping in line with the World Cup 2023 talks, Mohammed Shami further spoke on the matter of workload management, stating that his preference has always been for more game time than practice sessions.
Asked how he would manage his workload in a year which will soon see a four-Test series against Australia, a possible WTC Final and the ODI World Cup, Shami said, “I always prefer playing matches over practice. It is always better to play maximum numbers of games to get ready for a big event. The workload is being managed properly. I just hope the main players stay in a good zone ahead of the World Cup.”
Like most seniors, Mohammed Shami seems to have been eased out of India’s T20I side. In the other two formats, though, he still remains India’s go-to bowler and has plenty left in the tank. If he keeps firing like he did on Saturday, India will have plenty to cheer about.
New Zealand folded for 108 in under 35 overs in the second ODI before Rohit Sharma led the chase with a 50-ball 51. After a thrilling last-over finish in the 1st ODI in Hyderabad, India romped to an eight-wicket victory in Raipur on the back of an inspired performance from their quick bowlers to take the series 2-0 with one match to go.
India’s domination started with a display of swing and seam with great accuracy to bowl New Zealand out for 108 in under 35 overs in an international debut for the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.
India chased it down in 20.1 overs after a 51 off 50 from captain Rohit Sharma, who struck seven fours and two sixes before Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan saw the hosts through. It was India’s seventh consecutive bilateral ODI series win at home.
Stifling Test-match style bowling from Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj caused the early damage, after India won the toss, to reduce New Zealand to 9 for 3. Hardik Pandya bowled three maidens and picked up 2 for 16 from six overs as New Zealand slipped to 15 for 5, with their top five falling in single digits, after 10.3 overs before they recovered somewhat.
India 111 for 2 (Rohit 51, Gill 40*) beat New Zealand 108 (Phillips 36, Shami 3-18, Washington 2-7, Hardik 2-16) by eight wickets