"When Hardik Pandya comes back, he will bat at No. 6 but Shami should be at No. 8" - Harbhajan Singh lauds Mohammed Shami's spell
Harbhajan Singh believes India should persist with Mohammed Shami as a specialist seamer in their playing XI even after Hardik Pandya returns to the side as a batting all-rounder.
Shami returned with figures of 5/54 in 10 overs as the Men in Blue bundled out the Black Caps for 273 in Dharamsala on Sunday, October 22. The hosts then chased down the target with four wickets and two overs to spare to remain the only team with an all-win record in the tournament.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Harbhajan was asked about his thoughts on Shami's spell after not being picked for the first four games, to which he responded:
"He is a computer. He knows where to pitch the ball. He has done this job year after year. He is an extremely hard-working and proven player. I think about how can you keep him out."
The former Indian spinner added:
"If you have to keep a guy for two overs and a little batting, I feel it is not the right team. The team that played today was right. When Hardik Pandya comes back, he will bat at No. 6 but Shami should be at No. 8."
Shami wasn't part of India's playing XI before the clash against New Zealand. Ravichandran Ashwin played ahead of him against Australia in Chennai, and Shardul Thakur was preferred for their other three outings.
However, with Hardik ruled out of Sunday's game, the team management brought in Suryakumar Yadav at No. 6 in place of the batting all-rounder and bolstered the bowling by including the veteran pacer.
"When you need batting at No. 8 and a little bowling, you are forced to sacrifice Mohammed Shami" - Harbhajan Singh
![Mohammed Shami has excelled in the last five matches he has played in ODI World Cups. [P/C: AP]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/10/1f4ce-16980441348506-1920.jpg?w=500)
Harbhajan Singh feels Mohammed Shami shouldn't be sacrificed for a little batting depth. He stated:
"When you need batting at No. 8 and a little bowling, you are forced to sacrifice Mohammed Shami. I feel he should play in every match."
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that specialist batters and bowlers need to deliver in their respective areas. He elaborated:
"A good team is one where the batters take the responsibility of batting and the bowlers take the responsibility of bowling. It will be an odd day where you would need someone to bowl one or two overs."
Rohit Sharma and company might look to retain Shami in the playing XI even after Hardik Pandya returns to the mix. While Shardul Thakur has looked slightly out of sorts in the three games he has played, the Baroda all-rounder's bowling fitness after an ankle injury might be questionable.