IND vs SA: Our Batting May Have Been A Bit Loose At Times, Admits Mohammed Shami

Indian pace bowler Mohammed Shami said that people should not get worried after India lost to South Africa in both the Tests and ODI series.

India started the South Africa tour with the hope to win their first-ever Test series in the Rainbow Nation. In fact, they breached Proteas’ fortress in Centurion (SuperSport Park) with a 113-run win.

But the Proteas led by Dean Elgar bounced back to win the three-match Test series 2-1 and keep their winning streak against India at home intact.

South Africa whitewashed India 3-0 in the ODI series to show that the new set of players are determined to win against any strong side in international cricket.

Senior batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were once again under the spotlight of their critics for not standing up to the occasion and scoring runs according to their experience.

Ups and Downs happen: Mohammed Shami

Both Pujara and Rahane scored the fifties in the second innings of the Johannesburg Test as they put up a 111-run stand to push India’s lead to 239.

Pujara accumulated 124 runs from six innings, while Rahane scored 136 from as many innings. Interestingly, Team South Africa leaked 136 runs as extras.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli did bring amendments to his technique in the third Test but that didn’t help him to score enough runs. Kohli made 161 runs from two games at an average of 40.25.

Shami, who claimed 14 wickets from three Test matches, said the bowlers did well and accepted the Indian batters were not at their best with their performance.

“See, we’ve been playing on a fairly regular basis and been part of bubble life for quite some time now. So summing up the overall situation, I would only say that ups and downs happen, and we just don’t need to get too hyper or worry too much about it,” Shami told The Telegraph.

“Please don’t forget that our bowling unit has been doing exceedingly well, and been consistent on most occasions. So this is one huge positive that always keeps us in the game.

“Yes, our batting may have been a bit loose at times, due to which the team has suffered. But I’m sure things will be sorted out,” Shami added.

Don’t think we should be blaming the conditions: Mohammed Shami

The wickets in South Africa were slow in nature and the batters were easily flowing the runs against the bowlers. South Africa twice chased targets of 240 & 212 to clinch the Test series against India.

Shami said that conditions shouldn’t be an excuse for the team and they will have to examine their errors.

“Whether it’s momentum or the conditions, they are all part of the game. At the end of the day, what counts is the result,” he said.

“So I don’t think we should be blaming the conditions and look for an excuse. You can’t control nature. So we need to point out the mistakes we made,” Shami added.

Shami was rested for the ODI series as the BCCI is resting key players to manage their workload across all formats.

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