India stormed into the final of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 as they registered a thumping 70-run win over New Zealand in the semifinal encounter at Wakhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Tons from Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer helped India to a mammoth total of 397 runs, but it was Shami’s 7 for 57 runs in his 9.5 overs, the best figures for an Indian bowler at the WC, that clinched the game for India and sealed a place in the summit clash.
Shami was befittingly presented with the Man of the Match award for his incredible spell, which took his World Cup wickets tally to 54, thus becoming the fastest to cross the 50-wicket mark.
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.
“I was waiting for my turn. I wasn’t playing much white ball cricket. I had in mind, we talk about a lot of things like yorkers and slower balls,” the pacer said at the post-match presentation.
“I tried to take wickets with the new ball. I try to take as many as I can with the new ball,” the seamer said.
Shami dropped the catch of Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson in the semifinal when the match was in the balance, but more than made up for it soon after as he produced a game-turning over where he scalped two wickets, of which one was Williamson.
“I dropped the catch of Kane and I felt bad. I tried to take pace off. They were playing their shots, so I took a chance,” he said about the wicket that turned things around in favour of the Indians.
“The wicket was good. There was the fear of dew, but the grass was cut off nicely,” he added.
Shami also said that he felt that the batsmen had put up enough runs on the board to try and defend.
“The runs were enough. Had dew come in, things could have been bad as the slower balls might not have worked,” he opined.
The pacer, who leads the race for the golden ball with 23 dismissals in the ongoing edition of the tournament said that he cherishes the opportunity and looks to make the most of the chance to get his hands on the coveted World Cup trophy.
“I feel amazing. This is a huge platform. We lost in the semis in the 2015 and the 2019 WC. Looking to cash in on the chance I have been given. We don’t know when all of us will get a chance like this again,” he concluded.
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