ENG vs IND: You Need To Be Courageous From Heart, Then You Can Get Set In Any Format - Mohammed Shami

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami said that the skill level at the top is pretty much equal but the mindset of a bowler can decide how he performs on a given day in any format of the game.

Shami returned to the ODI format after nearly a two-year gap but he reckoned nothing changed with regard to the dressing room. His confidence remained high as he had already mingled with his teammates and it showed in the first ODI against England. During the game, Shami became the fastest Indian and joint third-fastest to 150 wickets in ODIs.

“It wasn’t a small break but of three years. Nothing was going on in my head regarding the gap. I’ve become very comfortable with the team. We travel together and have been playing together for like a decade now.

“Everyone knows their job and after playing so much of cricket, if you come with a question mark in your mind, then I believe it’s not good.”

“It’s extremely important to come with a clear mind as you already know what you need to do, where you need to pitch the ball, the variations in white-ball and everyone knows these basics.

“But you need to be courageous from heart and if you are that, then you can get set in any format at any given moment,” Shami said during a chat with bowling coach Paras Mhambrey on BCCI.tv.

“As soon as we started, the ball was stopping and seaming” – Mohammed Shami

At the presentation ceremony after the first ODI, Jasprit Bumrah revealed that he had a chat with Shami about the conditions and how they wanted to proceed. It was a matter of getting the line and length right, as revealed by Shami.

“As soon as we started, the ball was stopping and seaming, it became important for us to pick our areas and keep line and length in control. We played our best performance (in first ODI); like, the way a series has to be started, it set an example.”

“The only thing to be kept in mind was if the area will be great on a pitch where it swings and seams, you bowl with great pace from both ends and makes life difficult for (batting teams) on a wicket like this. We kept things simple, got to fetch wickets quickly and result is there for all to see,” he added.

Also Read – I respect people’s opinion but don’t take it seriously – Jasprit Bumrah