Opposition batsmen could have a really hard time if Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami bowl well in tandem with the new ball in limited overs cricket, as England experienced in Tuesday’s ODI at The Oval. Playing his first ODI in over 19 months, Shami (3/31)’s role was equally significant, as he not just complemented Bumrah but also took the key wickets of Ben Stokes and England captain Jos Buttler to peg the hosts back further.
Analysing his performance, Shami stressed the need to have a clear mind. “I was away from ODI cricket for so many days. It was a long break for me. But once you feel comfortable in this environment, you know your responsibilities.
“It’s even more important to have a clear mind. You need to be clear about what length you need to bowl and how to use your variations. You have to be clear about these from within,” the senior pacer told India's bowling coach Paras Mhambrey in an interview for bcci.tv.
If conditions are pacer-friendly, Shami’s plan is to keep things as simple as possible. “That is my mantra,” he said.
“You only have to think differently if the wickets are different. Otherwise, if you repeat the same things over and over again, the chances of success are that much more. But yeah, only if the wickets are slow and dry, there’s scope for you to change plans. Else, you need to just carry on doing the same things,” Shami added.
