VeteranTeam India pacer Mohammed Shami stepped up with the ball against New Zealand at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday. Playing his first match of the tournament, Shami picked up a brilliant five-wicket haul. His sensational spell in the death overs helped India bowled out New Zealand for 273.
Speaking about Shami’s performance, former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja said in his latest YouTube video, “It is very tough to take a five-wicket haul after being benched. It was a very big performance. This is why India are so strong. The players on the bench are very capable of replacing any member of the playing XI and winning the Player of the Match award. He was phenomenal in the death overs. He proved a point. Shami should have played a lot earlier, as he is a match-winner.”
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Notably, Mohammed Shami became the first Indian bowler to have two five-wicket hauls to his name in World Cup history. He was adjudged the Player of the Match as India registered a four-wicket win. Ramiz further added that India have one of the strongest fast-bowling attacks currently as well. Meanwhile, India are the only unbeaten team so far in the 2023 World Cup. With five wins from as many matches, they are currently placed at the top of the points table as well.
“India’s fast bowling in the last 10 overs was world-class. Once upon a time, Pakistan used to bowl like this. India have become a top-quality team with the ball. They have a killer combination in the form of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami. New Zealand bounced back after a shaky start. Daryl Mitchell played a very good knock, scoring over 100 runs. However, he failed to accelerate when it was required. India powered their way back into the game during the death overs. It would have been a lot tougher had the score been somewhere around 310. Daryl Mitchell was well-set but slowed down to score a century. They lost momentum at that point,” Ramiz Raja concluded.
