Mohammed Shami's 3 best spells for India ft. Perth
Mohammed Shami has become one of the most impactful pacers to have played for India. He has carved a niche for himself across all three formats and has been part of several memorable wins for Team India.
Teaming up with Jasprit Bumrah, Shami has been instrumental in elevating Team India's status to one of the most formidable forces in Test cricket in all conditions. Shami made his debut in January 2013 during an ODI match against Pakistan.
He has since gone on to become a leading bowler for India. He was Virat Kohli's go-to-bowler in Test cricket and continues to get the job done for Rohit Sharma. Shami was crucial even in the IPL when he propelled the Gujarat Titans to their inaugural IPL title in the franchise's first-ever season.
As he turns 33, we take a look at Mohammed Shami's three best spells for India:
#3 5/35, India vs South Africa 2019, Visakhapatnam
Mohammed Shami is an absolute master on India pitches where he gets even the slightest assistance on sluggish surfaces. He showed his class against South Africa when he came into the attack after Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja on Day 5.
He started his spell with a delivery aimed at the stumps - the ball kept low and snuck under Temba Bavuma's bat. He then followed it up with a special ball that decked away after pitching and uprooted the stumps of Faf du Plessis. He repeated the dose and got rid of Quinton de Kock and then the tail.
He bagged a five-wicket haul and showed his exceptional skills on a Day 5 pitch.
#2 4/40, India vs Afghanistan (CWC19), Southampton
Back in the 2019 World Cup, Mohammed Shami became only the second Indian bowler, after Chetan Chauhan, to pick up a hat-trick in a World Cup match.
Afghanistan were trying to score 225 runs to win the match. It was a nervy game for the Indian side as Afghanistan needed 16 runs off the final over and Mohammad Nabi hit a boundary to get the over cracking.
However, Shami stayed calm and bowled a dot ball. He then bowled another full ball and Nabi could only find Hardik Pandya.
After that, Shami bowled two excellent yorkers, as he cleaned up Aftab Alam and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. This helped India clinch the match and progress in the tournament.
#1 6/56, Australia vs India 2018, Perth
This is one of the best spells by Mohammed Shami as he achieved his career-best figures in Test cricket.
On a fast pitch in Perth, Shami's searing bouncers proved particularly effective against left-handed batters as he got rid of Marcus Harris and Shaun Marsh. He then found the perfect length after lunch as his pace, movement and seam got the better of Tim Paine, Usman Khawaja, and Aaron Finch.
Shami became almost unplayable for the lower-order batters as he got rid of Nathan Lyon and ended with a remarkable six-wicket haul.