Star India pacer Mohammed Shami is on a roll during the ICC Cricket World Cup at home. Despite missing the first half of the series, Shami played a vital role in his team’s journey towards the final. In the semi-final against New Zealand, Shami took 7/57 in 9.5 overs at an economy rate of 5.79. This is India’s best bowling spell in ICC Cricket World Cup history, overtaking Ashish Nehra’s 6/23 against England in 2003.
Shami’s figures are also the fifth best in World Cup history, with Australia’s Glenn McGrath’s 7/15 against Namibia in 2003 being the best.
A key aspect of Shami’s dominance was his superiority against left-handed batsmen.
Although Shami is a batsman’s nightmare, it is the left-handed batsmen that he has excelled against. In his WC run this year, Shami has bowled 52 deliveries to left-handed batsmen. He conceded only 32 runs against them.
Eight of Shami’s 23 wickets in the tournament were left-handed. The bowler claimed the wickets of Rachin Ravindra, New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner and Devon Conway, England’s Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka among the left-handers.
In six WC 2023 matches, Shami has taken 23 wickets at an average of 9.13 and a strike rate of 10.91. His best figures are 7/57. He is the highest wicket taker in the tournament so far.
The veteran pacer also completed 50 World Cup wickets, becoming only the seventh bowler to do so. Shami is also the fastest to get there, reaching the milestone in 17 runs, beating Mitchell Starc’s (Australia) record of 19 runs.
Australia’s Glenn McGrath is the highest wicket taker in WC history with 71 wickets in 39 matches in his World Cup career.
Shami now has four five-wicket hauls in Cricket World Cup history, the most by any bowler. Australian left-arm quick Starc has dropped to the second spot with three five-wicket hauls.
Earlier on Wednesday, India opted to bat first and scored 397/4 in their 50 overs. Skipper Rohit Sharma (47 in 29 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) and Shubman Gill (80 in 66 balls, with eight fours and three sixes) made a fine start with a 71-run opening stand.
Virat Kohli (117 in 113 balls, nine fours and two sixes) added his 50th ODI ton, while Shreyas Iyer (105 in 70 balls, with four boundaries and eight sixes) scored his second WC century in a row, helping India post a huge score. . KL Rahul also delivered a 20-ball cameo of 39 runs, with five fours and two sixes.
Tim Southee (3/100) was the pick of the bowlers for the Kiwis. Trent Boult (1/86) also got a wicket.
Chasing 398, Kiwis lost two early wickets. But a 181-run partnership between Daryl Mitchell (134 in 119 balls, with nine fours and six sixes) and skipper Kane Williamson (69 in 73 balls, with eight centuries and six) kept Kiwis alive and Indian bowlers sweating for answers. Glenn Phillips also played a valuable knock of 41. However, two wickets over Shami changed the game and the Men in Blue bowled exceptionally well in the overs to restrict NZ to 327 in 48.5 overs.
Besides Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj got a wicket apiece.
Shami was hailed as the ‘Player of the Game’ for his dream.
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