Mohammed Shami Reveals He Worked On MS Dhoni's Plan To Bag The Hat-Trick

Mohammed Shami had no second thoughts about bowling a yorker for a hat-trick delivery after Mahendra Singh Dhoni advised the same during India's thrilling World Cup encounter against Afghanistan in Southampton. Shami is the second Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in World Cup after Chetan Sharma's feat against New Zealand in the 1987 edition. This is the 10th hat-trick in history of 50-over World Cup.

"The plan was simple. To bowl a yorker and even Mahi bhai suggested that. He said, 'Don't change anything now as you have a great chance of getting a hat-trick. It's a rare opportunity and you need to do the same thing. So I did what exactly I was told," Shami told reporters after returning with figures of 4 for 40.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar's left-hamstring stiffness brought Shami into the picture and the Bengal pacer accepts that it was a stroke of luck that he was in the playing XI.

"Getting a chance in the playing XI is a bit of luck. I was ready that whenever I get a chance, I will have to utilise it. As far as hat-trick is concerned, it is a rarity at least in the World Cup. I am happy," he said. Shami said in the final over, there was no time to think and the aim was to execute the plan.

"There was no time to think. You have to back your own skills as you don't have much option otherwise. If you try more variations, chances of going for runs is more. My thought was to execute my plan rather than trying to read batsman's mind," he said.

The Indian bowlers had realised that short ball was a weapon that could be used effectively and both pacers -- Shami and Jasprit Bumrah -- did just that against Afghan batsmen.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Afghanistan World Cup 2019 Mohammed Shami Cricket