Mohammed Shami missed India’s first four match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 with the team management opting for a balance playing XI. Allrounder Hardik Pandya was the team’s third first-choice pacer with the hosts winning four matches on the trot.
With Pandya injuring his ankle, Shami came into the picture but to make up for the reduced batting depth, India had to include a specialist batter in Suryakumar Yadav who replaced Shardul Thakur.
As luck would have it, that turned out to be a blessing in disguise with Shami producing breath-taking display with the ball and after just six matches, has stormed to the top of the list of most wicket-takers in the ongoing world cup.
He carried his sensational form into the semi-final contest with New Zealand and produced the best bowling figures in an ODI by an Indian bowler with a seven-wicket haul to play a prominent role in his team’s entry into the title clash.
Follow all the action from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 including the World Cup schedule, World Cup 2023 results, and ICC Cricket World Cup points table. Players are vying to top the World Cup 2023 Most Runs and World Cup 2023 Most Wickets charts.
Throwing some light on his bowling mindset, Shami, who is the quickest to 50 wickets in world cup history, says he’s always modifying his plans according to the situation.
“I always look at what the situation is, how the pitch and the ball are behaving and if the ball is swinging or not,” Shami told Star Sports.
“And, if the ball is not swinging, I try and bowl stump to stump while trying to land it in a zone where the ball can catch an edge of the batters (when they) are driving,” he added.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri praised Shami for consistently hitting the right lengths.
“The very first ball, if he (Shami) is sprinting in, (I wish) good luck to the batters. The seam presentation, the way the ball lands… What he has done in this World Cup is to consistently hit the right lengths,” Shastri said.
“Even in Mumbai, he was troubling the batsmen with his skills. Not many got the ball to move around, but he got to do it and got the outside edges,” he added.
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