Mohammed Shami has gone on to become one of the most pivotal bowlers for India outside the sub-continent since the start of 2018. He has been among the wickets and his form in Test cricket has helped him do well in the 50-over format as well in recent times. The player, who was India’s second highest wicket-taker in the 2015 World Cup, is once again showing his vitality outside India. Shami has done enough in recent times to cement a place for himself in the 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup this year.
One will hope that the right-arm fast bowler keeps himself injury-free and gets proper rest in between to show his mettle in England and Wales. Shami’s rise in stature away from home is a lot due to his fitness levels. He has lost weight and is looking leaner. His pace has not dipped and the accuracy is notable. The reason what makes Shami a deadly force outside the sub-continent is that his vision for being consistent and accurate. Another plus is that he gets the ball to swing both ways and his deliveries often zip past the batsmen.
In recent times, Shami has picked 12 wickets from six ODI matches. His consistency with the white ball helped India win successive series in Australia and New Zealand. Shami fills in the void of a third pacer in the side. His record outside home is terrific in both ODIs and Tests. After raking in consistent shows in Test cricket, Shami got the ball talking in the ODIs as well. A big factor that has helped him is that he can get his side wickets upfront. He bowls a lot of good length deliveries that are in the right channels. This is a strong feature of the senior cricketer.
Shami was top class for India in Test cricket in 2018. He finished the year with 47 Test scalps and was one short of Jasprit Bumrah (48). What has helped the side massively is that the quartet of Indian pacers in the Tests know each other well. They understand the needs of the side and work well in tandem. This is of massive help for skipper Virat Kohli. Shami’s performances outside the subcontinent is helped massively by having the experienced seamers around him. That form has transpired into the ODIs. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar present, Shami has found a partnership.
He also excels with Bumrah. So the confidence factor comes into play. Shami is a genuine wicket-taking bowler and his statistics reveal the same. He was consistent in South Africa, England and Australia in Tests. His ability to get wickets in pitches that assist pace, will serve India well in the World Cup. His reverse swing can be a pivotal factor in England. Shami comes out as one of the biggest winners in this tour of Australia and New Zealand. He is someone, who should be the prime option overseas.