"Mohammed Shami is among the best 3 seamers in the world" - Virat Kohli hails pacer after winning 1st India vs South Africa Test
Indian Test captain Virat Kohli has hailed Mohammed Shami as one of the "three best seamers in the world" following India's historic win against South Africa in Centurion.
Shami, who was trolled and abused on social media not long before the tour, ended as the top wicket-taker in the Test. He bowled a phenomenal combined spell of 8-107 and also became the fifth Indian seamer to take 200 Test wickets.
Kohli, speaking in the post-match presentation after the massive 113-run triumph, said Shami's ability to create chances on flat wickets on the back of his sheer control and skills makes him a "world-class talent". Kohli said:
"Absolutely world-class talent. For me, he's easily among the best three seamers in the world right now. Just the way he bowls on pitches which don't seem to offer too much to others. He just gets that extra bit from any pitch he bowls on purely because of his strong wrist, his seam position, and his ability to hit a length consistently, and areas where you can't leave the ball is his biggest quality. Very, very happy for him to get 200 wickets."
Shami's brilliance was equally matched by Jasprit Bumrah in the Test. The pacer picked up five crucial scalps. Kohli spoke about Bumrah's impact on the Test and revealed that he and fellow Indian batters often talk about how difficult it is to face their bowling attack in today's international cricket.
Kohli added:
"The fact he didn't bowl much in the first innings probably allowed the opposition to get around 40 extra runs. We probably would have had a larger lead and the game wouldn't have gone that close that it did on the last day... Us as a batting unit speak about this often if we have to face them (the bowling unit), it's a very difficult task in today's cricket. Just the way these guys bowl together has been a hallmark of our team getting a result in difficult situations. Huge credit to them for not just this Test but where Indian cricket is for the last 4-5 years."
Superb bowling by an attack that can pick 20 wickets in a Test match anywhere in the world.
Congratulations to #TeamIndia on a convincing victory!
#SAvIND https://t.co/2TGI41kH7B
Apart from these two, Mohammed Siraj's untiring spirit (3-92), Shardul Thakur's timely breakthroughs (2-62) and Ravichandran Ashwin's holding act (2-55) also had a major impact on the performance.
"Opening partnership was the difference in the game" - Virat Kohli
Wohoo Brisbane, Oval, Lord’s and now Centurion…Congratulations @imVkohli, Rahul Dravid and the entire contingent on becoming the first Asian nation to win at Centurion #BoxingDayTest #TeamIndia https://t.co/k9zTHE1nWQ
Kohli labeled the century stand between KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal on Day 1 of the Test as the difference between the two teams, saying:
"Winning the toss, batting first overseas is always a tough challenge. Credit goes to the opening partnership Mayank and KL the way they set it up this Test match for us... We have a lot of belief in our bowling unit that they'll get the job done for us... We just need runs on the board and that's exactly what was provided by the opening partnership. That was the difference in the game."
Kohli remarked that this win in effectively four days has shown India's motivation and keenness to do the unprecedented in South Africa. Calling it a "top-start", he said:
"We got off to the perfect start. Of course, getting a result within four days, you have to understand one day was washed out - just shows how well we played this Test match and how motivated and keen we were to start off in the manner we did at Centurion. It's always a difficult place to play against South Africa, we had to be absolutely clinical with the bat, the ball, and in the field as well and hence we got the result we wanted and yeah, it's a top start for us."
India became the first Asian team to win a Test in Centurion, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. It was only India's fourth Test win in South Africa. Kohli and co. will now look to make it 2-0 and take an unassailable lead when the second Test kicks off in Johannesburg on January 3.