|
Mohammed Shami feels that the success he has had with the white ball for India is no "rocket science" but just a matter of finding the right line length and keeping the rhythm.
Shami claimed his second 5-wicket haul in the ongoing World Cup powering India to the semi-finals following a sensational display with the bat in the first innings. His spell was crucial against Sri Lanka as the Lions succumbed to a total of 55 and lost the game by 302 runs at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. For the first few games, he was unable to find a place in the playing XI, but after his arrival, he has become an irreplaceable cog in India's machinery. In three games the experienced speedster has claimed 14 scalps in the ongoing campaign helping India to assert dominance with the ball. After producing a match-winning performance Shami talked about the reason that has contributed to the success he has had in the tournament so far. "Yeah, I am trying (to do my best), as always, trying to pitch the ball in the right areas and trying to find the right rhythm, because in big tournaments, if you lose the rhythm it's very difficult to get it back. So right from the start, the attempt has been to focus on the right areas and right lengths, and it's working, so why not try to repeat it? Yeah, it's tough, but I will say it again: your rhythm has to be right and the areas you hit must be right. Especially with the white ball, if you hit the right areas, you get movement off the pitch. So that's what matters the most. Not rocket science. Just a matter of rhythm, good food, keep your mind uncluttered, and, most importantly, the love of the people. The support we get in India has a huge role. When you go out of India, you get so much support from Indians. So I will keep trying to make everyone happy," Shami said after the match. In the match against Sri Lanka, Shami took five wickets for 18 runs in five overs, with one maiden. He overtook Indian pace legends Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath (44 wickets) to become India's highest wicket-taker in World Cup history. In the Cricket World Cup, Shami has a total of 45 wickets in just 14 matches, with the best figures of 5/18. Shami is the sixth-highest wicket-taker in WC history, with the highest being Australia's Glenn McGrath (71 wickets in 39 matches). Shami is the only Indian bowler to have three five-wicket hauls in the Cricket World Cup. Only Mitchell Starc of Australia has taken three five-wicket hauls in the tournament besides the Indian pacer. He also overtook the legendary spinner Harbhajan Singh to have the most five-wicket hauls for India in ODIs, a total of four. Harbhajan had three five-wicket hauls in ODIs. (ANI)
|
