Steve Harmison: Ishant Sharma Is Virat Kohli’s, Go-To Man
If Jasprit Bumrah stole the show with bat and ball (3/33 and 34*), Mohammed Siraj (4/32) wasn’t ready to miss the opportunity to shine at the Home of Cricket as India took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
It all started with the mind-blowing unbeaten 89-run 9th wicket partnership between Mohammed Shami (56*) and Jasprit Bumrah that set the game up and swung the momentum right in India’s favour from a position wherein the hosts were looking favourites to take the game.
“You’ve got a tall bowler in Ishant who likes to get the ball going in naturally and because he has such a nice seam position, he can at times roll his fingers a little bit and get the ball nip away. So that way he’s very very dangerous as you can be doubtful about where your off-stump is. That’s why he is Virat’s go-to man as he can give him a lot of overs,” Harmison told ESPNCricinfo.
Both Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma played important roles in India’s 151-run win at Lord’s. Ishant Sharma, who did not play in the first Test due to a niggle, returned to the XI for the Lord’s and picked up three wickets in the first innings and two in the second.
“Shami I think is more English than some of the seamers that we’ve got in our team because he runs up, he’s got great core strength, a big backside, a bit like Matthew Hoggard and my time. We used to have big backsides, could really swing it away in and around off stump and I think Shami is a fine fine bowler,” Harmison added.
While Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah were the leaders, Ishant Sharma (2/13) and Mohammed Shami (1/13) cannot be ignored for putting in the right support.
Mohammed Shami (56 no & 1/13 in 10 overs) and Jasprit Bumrah (34 & 3/33 in 15 overs) played innings of their lives and then rocked the England top-order, before Ishant Sharma (2/13 in 10 overs) and Mohammed Siraj (4/32) played their part to perfection to give the visitors a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Steve Harmison: Ishant Sharma And Mohammed Shami Complement Each Other A Lot
Steve Harmison who played 63 Tests, 58 ODIs, and 2 T20Is for England, said the duo of Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma complement each other very well.
“With that, you’ve got somebody like Ishant who is 6 foot or 4 and Shami who is about 5 foot 10. One is bringing the ball back in, the other is taking it away. They complement each other a lot,” he added.
India is currently leading the five-match series 1-0. The third Test will be played at Headingley starting on August 25.