MUMBAI: Trent Boult and Tim Southee, one of the best fast bowling pairs in modern-day cricket, gave away 186 runs in their 20 overs in the World Cup semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. Later in the evening, on a pata (flat) wicket, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, again world-class pacers, concede boundaries to New Zealand’s openers. There’s no movement on offer for the quicks, with the small size of the ground and extreme humidity making it worse for them.
And then, Mohammed Shami runs in for the first time in the match. His very first ball, a fullish delivery outside the off-stump, pitches in and moves off the seam, luring Devon Conway into a drive, which only results in an edge, pouched beautifully by a diving KL Rahul behind the stumps. In his next over, Shami bowls another peach, perhaps an even better delivery, which straightens after angling in, and gets the dangerous, in-form Rachin Ravindra’s edge. Thereafter, centurion Daryl Mitchell and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson enjoy a massive 181-run stand for the third wicket, giving India the jitters, before Shami returns to calm their nerves again.
A set Williamson hit the seamer’s delivery straight to Suryakumar Yadav at deep square leg, and is left agonised as Shami exults amidst deafening roars of the cheering crowd. Welcome to the ‘Shami Show.’
