Mohammed Shami Creates Records in Magnificent Comeback
Mohammed Shami, who was out of cricket for close to one and a half years due to a knee injury, came back to Test cricket in style with a magnificent four-wicket haul.
Highlights
-
Mohammed Shami took 50 wickets in just 13 Tests
-
Venkatesh Prasad also took 50 wickets in 13 Tests
-
Shami was out of cricket for more than a year due to a knee injury
Mohammed Shami had a calamitous 2015 and 2016 as a career-threatening knee injury ruled him out of international cricket for close to a year. There were many who felt Shami might not be the same again.
However, on the third day of the first Test against West Indies in Antigua, Shami put in a magnificent display as he became the third-fastest Indian bowler and joint fastest pace bowler to 50 wickets in Tests. He achieved it in 13 Tests, equal with Venkatesh Prasad. India's spin wizard, Erapalli Prasanna, is the fastest Indian to 50 wickets by getting it in 12 Tests.
Having dismissed Rajendra Chandrika on the second day with a magnificent leg-cutter, Shami was the only bowler who troubled the West Indies on a sluggish Antigua pitch.
His spell before and after lunch were magnificent. Maintaining a tight line around off stump, Shami got some extra bounce to get rid off Darren Bravo for 11 but his spell after lunch deflated West Indies.
Bowling a full ball outside the off stump channel, he had Marlon Samuels tamely poking to wicketkeeer Wriddhiman Saha and four balls later, he got a short ball to climb awkwardly and Jermaine Blackwood only managed to fend it to gully to finish with figures of 4/66 from 20 overs.
Shami has enjoyed bowling against the West Indies. In his debut series in 2013/14, the right-arm fast bowler picked up 11 wickets, including a haul of 5/47 in Kolkata as India won the series 2-0