Demolition man in operation. Such a phrase sounds quite appropriate when Mohammed Shami has the ball in hand and guns down one rival batter after another.
Without an iota of doubt, Shami’s penetrative, incisive bowling has been massive to India’s romp to the final of this World Cup. On tracks that are least pace-friendly with some of them being most placid and docile, taking as many as 23 wickets in only six appearances so far go on to prove how well Shami has bowled and how devastating he
has been.
Former Australia white-ball captain Aaron Finch, under whose leadership Australia had won the T20 World Cup in 2021, is in awe of Shami. “Shami is certainly the best (pacer) in the world at present.
“At present, there’s hardly anyone who can come close to him,” Finch, one of the commentators for this World Cup, said on the sidelines of the Australia-South Africa semi-final at Eden Gardens on Thursday.
Aaron Finch. File photo
Even on batting belters in Dharamsala and the Wankhede, the senior pacer picked up five-fors which also reflects how much he trusts his attacking bowling and the fact that he thinks wickets.
“Obviously, Shami’s seam-positioning kind of sets him apart,” former England quick Steven Finn, who has played a Test at the Eden (in December 2012) and is currently on commentary stint in the competition, said.
“The trajectory that he’s able to get also helps him as it goes on to deceive the batsmen, creating doubts in their minds,” Finn, who played 36 Tests, 69 ODIs and 21 T20Is, pointed out.
Finn though is not on the same page with Finch on Shami being the best fast bowler at present. “I wouldn’t say so. There are guys like Josh Hazlewood, whose bowling I like very much, and (Jasprit) Bumrah as well,” the 34-year-old said. “In a bowler like Bumrah in particular, you get to see so many variations. He has got the yorker, the slower one, he’s effective with both the old and new ball.”
Steve Finn. File photo
However, both Finch and Finn agree that all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s ankle injury which ruled him out of the Cup after the game against Bangladesh in Pune turned out to be a blessing in disguise for India as that made room for Shami’s place in the XI.
“Yeah, that (Pandya injury)’s one factor... May not have been easy for him (to be in the XI) then,” Finn said. “Obviously, Pandya’s unavailability played a part, paving the way for Shami.
Play square
One of the ways batsmen could keep Shami at bay is by looking to play square off the wicket, feels former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful.
“The way Shami has been bowling of late, he is making the ball talk by moving it away and bringing it into the batsman.
“His wrist-positioning, too, plays a role here.
“But from the batsman’s point of view, if you look to play him square off the wicket, you can keep him away.
“For instance, if you look at Devon Conway’s dismissal yesterday (Wednesday), he could have been saved had he tried to play it between point and cover instead of trying to play diagonally,” Ashraful, who was at the Eden media box, argued.
“Also, you need to play him straight and be a little more careful at least in his first two overs,” Ashraful said.
Ire over Kohli help
Mumbai: Cricket fraternity the world over might be cherishing Virat Kohli’s 50th ODI century but former Australia pacer Simon O’Donnell has flayed New Zealand’s gesture of helping the batting great when he was suffering from cramps during the World Cup semi-final here.
Kohli, 35, was seen struggling with cramps during his 113-ball 117.
A few New Zealand players opted to assist the star India batter while he was struggling with cramps, and O’Donnell said he had a “problem” with that gesture.
“I had a problem last night. Virat Kohli gets cramp, they’re heading for 400 and (New Zealand) blokes go over and help him,” O’Donnell, who played 87 ODIs for Australia, said on Sen Radio.
“Why would you go and help Virat Kohli when he had a cramp? Spirit of the game is playing within the laws. Kohli is tearing your country apart and you want to go over and give him a hand?”
PTI
