It’s been a near-perfect bowling performance by India in the World Cup so far where they have bundled out oppositions – Australia and Pakistan – and were close to doing that in the game vs Afghanistan too. The last time India’s bowling attack wore this potent look was back in the 2015 edition where they bowled out oppositions in every game, except the semi-final defeat to Australia. Seven oppositions, seven perfect outings. It was an ideal bowling combination for then-skipper MS Dhoni, and it was dominated by pace.
During that campaign, one name kept the wickets column busy and ended the tournament with 17 wickets from seven games at an average of 17.29, strike rate of 21.52 and economy rate of just 4.81 was Mohammed Shami. The crafty seamer played the multi-nation event with a knee injury, which kept him out of the game against UAE, but was MSD’s go-to man for wickets. India’s Man Friday in 2015, who also impressed (14 wickets in 4 matches, including a hat-trick) with the limited opportunities he got in 2019 edition, continues to warm the bench in the ongoing World Cup and it is likely to continue until and unless there is an injury concern or workload management forced decision.
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Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have been the side’s preferred new-ball combination and Rohit Sharma has able options in Hardik Pandya, who the skipper considers as a proper third seamer, and Shardul Thakur, who is there to provide batting depth. In the present situation, where two spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, are also a certainty, the only way Shami can break into the XI is by replacing either Bumrah or Siraj. There have been enough indications from the management which suggest the call between Shardul and R Ashwin will be a very surface-specific one, like they did on a turning strip in Chennai. As far as Shami is concerned, batting depth means he is only competing with either Bumrah or Siraj for a spot.
Maintaining the start
For now, there seems to be no reason why India would tinker with their usual bowling attack. Both Bumrah and Siraj bowled at full tilt in the nets on October 17 and the management is keen to maintain the start. While Shami is looking very sharp in the net sessions he has had, the side wants to “carry this momentum”.
“Yeah, I think it’s important to maintain this start really. So as of now, there is no discussion of kind of rotation from our point of view. I think it is important to carry this momentum for the next game as well. No thought as such,” says bowling coach Paras Mhambrey at a pre-match media interaction.
Leaving Shami out of the XI, especially after how he fared in the ODI vs Australia in Mohali, is always going to be a tough call but for Team India, it’s a very wicket specific one.
“See, honestly, it is never an easy decision. But I think the conversations are around, we had a clear chat with him. Whenever we select a squad, the messages from us is very clear. That we pick a squad we feel is the best for that wicket. And I think sometimes you will miss out. Someone like him is missing out, someone like Ash will miss out. And I think that’s the communication that we have with him, we are very clear. Difficult decision, honestly, even with the quality that he brings to the team, new ball, death, it is difficult to take that decision. But you have to take that decision, you only have eleven on the field,” adds Mhambrey.
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Even during the open net session on Tuesday, Shami troubled the likes of Rohit and Shubman Gill with the new ball. The experienced campaigner did his usual magic from the good length spot and went past the bat of Gill on numerous occasions. There is no shortage of quality from Shami but the rise of Siraj in the last 12 months and especially his ability to control, and even strike, during different periods of play have pushed him up the order.
The leader of the pack in 2015 can do nothing but wait like he also did in 2019 edition where India preferred Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the new ball. The management would hope whenever an opportunity comes his way, he recreates the magic of 2019 where he picked a hat-trick in his first game of the tournament vs Afghanistan and ended with excellent figures of 4/40.
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