Shake it like Shami

New Delhi, October 7 

Fast bowlers usually play second fiddle to their slow-bowling counterparts on the final day of Tests on the Subcontinent but Mohammed Shami’s performance in India’s Test win over South Africa in Visakhapatnam on Sunday told a different story. 

It has been almost a tradition for quicks to begin proceedings before retreating into the background to watch the spinners wreak havoc on fifth day dustbowls in the region. The lack of carry on such tracks limits a quick’s scope for success, which often comes either by reverse swing or through a brain-fade moment by the batsmen. 

On Sunday, Shami demonstrated how a quick can succeed on such tracks, combining his reverse-swinging ability with a relentless attack on the stumps. The bustling right-arm quick has already emerged as a second innings specialist and he burnished that reputation with figures of 5/35 against Faf du Plessis’s side.

“Shami has been a strike bowler for us in the second innings consistently now,” India captain Virat Kohli said after they went 1-0 up in the three-Test series. “If you see all his four-five-wicket hauls, they come in the second innings invariably when the team needs it. The ball is reversing a bit, that’s his strength,” he added.

Shami now has three five-wicket hauls in the second innings since 2018, most by any bowler, and four of his five South African victims were dismissed bowled. One of them was du Plessis, who shoulder-armed to a delivery and watched in horror as his off-stump went cartwheeling. India opener Rohit Sharma said it was just reward for the quick, who offered no respite to the batsmen.

“He makes the batsman play all the balls, which is slightly tough on that kind of pitch,” said Rohit. “When you know you have to play all the six balls, and the pitch at times, as we have seen, is doing something from the crack, or staying low at times...the batsman doesn’t really know what’s coming next, because he (Shami) can swing it both ways.” 

Shami said it took more than just his ability to reverse-swing the ball. “It’s not easy to bowl when you know reverse-swing is happening,” said the 29-year-old. “You need to pitch it in the right area, you need to make sure that the ball is just around off-stump, so that it comes and hits the middle stump. Otherwise sometimes you can drag the ball on to pads and leak a lot of runs,” he added. — Reuters

Mayank plays fearlessly, like Sehwag: VVS

Visakhapatnam: Former India great VVS Laxman feels Mayank Agarwal’s “fearless” approach in batting resembles that of the maverick Virender Sehwag, who has been the Karnataka opener’s idol. Agarwal had come into the limelight with two half-centuries in his maiden Test tour of Australia but a maiden double hundred (215) against South Africa has consolidated his position in the national team, feels former India spinner Harbhajan Singh. “He is a solid batsman and has approached this game like a domestic match. Players usually change the way they play in domestic and international cricket, but he managed to maintain his style in both forms of cricket,” Laxman said about Agarwal. “Mental toughness and stability are his strengths and he plays fearlessly just like his favourite, Virender Sehwag.” Harbhajan feels years of grind in domestic circuit has paid dividends as Agarwal is aware of what is expected of him. “Mayank uses his feet well when he comes forward and hits and also executes the reverse sweep shots,” said Harbhajan. “He has a lot (shots) in store and plays them when and where needed. He is a hardworking player; the players who come from domestic cricket background have learned a lot. They come in late but have so much knowledge and experience of the game that they value and understand every opportunity that the game brings to them,” said Harbhajan. Harbhajan also feels that Agarwal did well because he was sure about his role in the team. “Once a player is confident about his role and place in the game, he only needs to focus on his performance. Rohit was trying to play a different game but Agarwal stuck to his game,” he added. — PTI