Shami tailor made for Test matches, says Virat Kohli
Jul 5, 2016 at 3:34 PM
Anil Kumble the new Indian coach will lead the side in their tour to the Caribbean later this month and the squad received a good news after it was revealed that fast bowler Mohammed Shami will be available after an injury lay off.
The 26-year old quickie from Uttar Pradesh made a name for himself with some impressive performances away from home.
And Virat Kohli, the Indian skipper in the longest format of the game felt happy that he is back in the squad.
Shami has been out of the sport for almost 15 months now and has not played any form of international cricket after the end of the World Cup in 2015 where he picked up a knee injury.
He later had a surgery done and played a cameo in the later stages of the IPL and the Indian skipper felt that he is hungry to make a comeback and that it might help the Indian side on their travels.
“He had a great season before he got injured. He couldn’t play World T20 due to injury, so I am sure he is eager to make a comeback and prove (his worth) all over again,” said Kohli.
He went on to heap praises on the 26-year old and said that being accurate with his lines and lengths along with the ability to make the ball move in the air and also off the seam make him an important bowler for the Test side.
He said, “Shami is obviously a very skillful guy and we all know that. He has a lot of ability with the ball. The way he releases and pitches the ball, it’s more than perfect for Test cricket.
“I mean the line and length that he hits is always attacking no matter how the wicket is,” he added.
He also went on to explain that Shami’s expertise in swing and reverse swing along with his control over his abilities make him a star bowler for the side.
“Best thing is if it’s seaming and swinging, he can bowl the conventional line and length. If it’s reverse swinging, he knows exactly where to bring the ball from,” Kohli said.
Shami in the past has shown the knack of breaking partnerships in tough situations and Kohli felt that it was because of his understanding of the game.
He felt that Shami has a plan for every batsman and that he is a strong bowler mentally, something that helps him excel even under pressure.
“He had a great season before he got injured. He couldn’t play World T20 due to injury, so I am sure he is eager to make a comeback and prove (his worth) all over again,” the skipper of the Indian test side said.