“What an amazing bowler!” Exclaimed Akib Javed (the veteran Pakistani bowler) after watching the magnificent spell of Mohammed Shami in his first-ever ODI in 2012 against Pakistan. We seldom hear such praise from our archrivals for our pacers. Aqib Javed went on to say that Shami would be the number one test bowler for the Indian team in a couple of years. How right he was! Shami made his way quickly into the Test team following his wonderful bowling performances.
Mohammed Shami: The Star of Indian Pace Bowling
India has been struggling to find fast bowlers for decades. Back then, we only had Kapil Dev as a regular pacer. Roger Binny, Madan Lal, and others made their contributions, but they didn’t last long. So, Kapil Dev had to continue bowling alone with other part-time bowlers for years. Slowly and gradually, we had bowlers like Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, Zaheer Khan, and Bhubaneswar Kumar. However, the arrival of Mohammed Shami changed the first bowling scenario for the team to a great extent. Let’s find out how!
First of all, Mohammed Shami has a full-arm action. It’s his classic arm action that sets him apart from most bowlers. In a cricketing sense, a classical action gives an edge to any fast bowler. Check out Mohammed Shami’s bowling videos to see how his action has an advantage here. He uses his traits to deliver mind-blowing spells in all forms of cricket. Whether it’s an ODI, T20, or test match, you can enjoy Shami’s bowling. He has broken the batting order at various times in many matches in a single spell.
However, he’s deadly with a new ball. Along with pacers like Bhubaneswar Kumar and Bumrah, he has devastated the defense of opponents in several matches. Take a look at Mohammed Shami’s stats to get a glimpse of his performances. His 229 wickets in 64 test matches, 163 wickets in 90 ODIs, and 24 wickets in 23 T20 matches are enough to know why he is termed the best pace bowler for the Indian team.
What Makes Mohammed Shami’s Bowling So Special?
Many pacers have a good line but lack pace. Then others have a fast pace but lack the swing. However, Shami’s bowling encompasses all the qualities of a great fast-bowling maestro. For example, he balls at a speed of 140 or more consistently. Not just that, he understands the batsmen’s weaknesses and often surprises them with slow deliveries. His pace variation often gets him wickets for his team.
Mohammed Shami continues to bowl consistently and pick wickets in all three formats of the game. Retired players or captains who have played with Shami applaud his efforts and dedication to the sport. Even the most successful Indian captain, MS Dhoni, endorses Shami as the best Pacer in the world. Former South African bowler Maestro Dale Steyn says that Shami is the best bowler in his current form. According to him, he can break the backbone of any team’s batting on any pitch in any condition.
Bottom Line
Mohammed Shami has ensured victories for the team in many neck-to-neck battles. Whether it’s unfavorable playing conditions or bad pitches, the pacer is deadly for the opponents and ready to grab wickets no matter the situation. It’d be no surprise if Shami broke most of the fast bowling records for India and earned a special place in the cricketing world in the years to come.
