It is not too often that Indian quick bowlers outshine the spinners in the team. But that’s exactly what happened at Eden Gardens on 19 November. The conditions were no longer what they were on days one, two and three. With prolonged exposure to the sun, whatever moisture there was on and underneath the pitch had evaporated and the pitch had eased out. But the pace trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav took the conditions out of the equation and bowled with purpose.
Between the three of them – Bhuvneshwar, Shami and Umesh – accounted for all 10 Sri Lankan batsmen; it was only the third time in India’s Test history that the quick bowlers had picked up all ten wickets in a Test innings at home. The last time such a thing was witnessed was in 1983 — when Kapil Dev returned career best figures of 9-83 and Balwinder Singh Sandhu picked up the one remaining wicket in a Test match against the Clive Lloyd-led West Indies at Ahmedabad.
Shami a Different Bowler After a Day’s Rest
India’s charge on Sunday was led by Mohammed Shami, who was sensational. His one particular spell – in the morning session on Sunday – should be counted among the best spells bowled by an Indian fast bowler.
There was discipline, pace, bounce and the ball thudded into to the wicketkeeper’s gloves repeatedly. Given the situation of the match, the Indian team needed the bowlers to show intensity. Shami was spewing venom in that particular spell. On other days, a similar effort could see him run through opposition batting line-ups. But on Sunday, he was unlucky to not pick up more than four wickets. He beat the outside edge of the bat or found the edge on several occasions.
It wasn’t that Shami didn’t bowl well on Saturday; he certainly bowled well – but as one commentator observed during the live broadcast of the match – he bowled well within himself. He wasn’t a 100 percent. He even left the field after 13.5 overs with what was later revealed to be discomfort caused due to cramps.
But on Sunday, when the team needed him most, Shami lifted his game and ran in with plenty of purpose. His body language was different, and he appeared to have found that rhythm.
He created chances on Day 3 too – he beat the bat or found the edge of the bat on 18 occasions in the 83 balls he bowled. But on Sunday, the frequency at which he beat the bat or found the edge went up several notches; 38.2% of the deliveries – or in simple terms more than two balls out of every six balls he bowled – were either him beating the bat or finding the edge.
Even within that first spell at the start of Day 4 there was a period when he was unplayable. There were periods when he was testing the batsmen and asking questions ball after ball.
The first three overs he bowled on the day were fairly uneventful – 3-0-12-0, and came close to taking a wicket on only four occasions. But in the next three overs, he returned figures of 3-0-6-2, and found the edge or beat the bat on as many as 11 times in 18 balls!
Shami should have had a third wicket in that spell – he rapped Dilruwan Perera on the pad and Umpire Nigel Llong ruled the batsman LBW. Then the ‘brain fade-like’ incident of the batsman taking a cue from the dressing room to then opt for a DRS review unfolded.
A Special Fast Bowler
In Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa, conditions often aid the fast bowlers and they are expected to perform. And therefore, the final parameter of judging a fast bowler is his ability to pick up wickets in the sub-continent. To take wickets in sub-continent conditions, fast bowlers need a combination of several elements – temperament, fitness and ability to bowl long spells, and a special skill.
Often, popular fast bowlers are the ones who cause damage with the ball, but also build a bit of a drama around them; there are several bowlers who indulge in sledging, stare at the batsman etc.
Mohammed Shami doesn’t get spoken about among the dangerous fast bowlers in the world, for he goes about the reason he was picked in the Indian team without a fuss.
His overall bowling strike-rate in Test cricket 53.67, which improves to an astonishing 43.91 in sub-continent conditions. Very few fast bowlers from around the world – Waqar Younis, Dale Steyn and Richard Hadlee – have had such success while bowling in the sub-continent.
Shami is certainly a special talent and the Indian team management will do well to protect him with cotton wool.
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