NEW DELHI: India's star pacer Mohammed Shami, who is in exceptional form in the ICC ODI World Cup, emphasised on his strategy of maintaining a stump-to-stump length and targeting a specific delivery "zone" to secure wickets.
Shami is the highest wicket-taker in the mega tournament with 23 scalps in six matches. His economy rate stands at 5.01, boasting a four-for and three five-wicket hauls.
In the recent semifinal clash against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Shami rattled the Kiwis batting line with seven wickets.
Shami missed the initial four matches of the World Cup, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya being the preferred pacer in the team before an ankle injury ruled him out for the remainder of the competition.
Since then, Shami has been phenomenal with his pace and seam, getting the ball to move in every condition.
"I always look at what the situation is, how the pitch and the ball are behaving and if the ball is swinging or not," Shami told Star Sports.
"And, if the ball is not swinging, I try and bowl stump to stump while trying to land it in a zone where the ball can catch an edge of the batters (when they) are driving."
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri also believes that Shami will have a significant role to play in the final against Australia in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
"The very first ball, if he (Shami) is sprinting in, (I wish) good luck to the batters. The seam presentation, the way the ball lands... What he has done in this World Cup is to consistently hit the right lengths," he said during an event in Chennai on Friday.
"Even in Mumbai, he was troubling the batsmen with his skills. Not many got the ball to move around, but he got to do it and got the outside edges," added Shastri.
