Shami hails India’s pace attack as ‘the best’ in history
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|| Desk Report ||
India pace bowler Mohammed Shami termed India’s current pace attack as the best in cricketing history, stating that the current pace battery can halt the devastation of any team.
The Indian pace arsenal has been formed with the variation of five pace bowlers Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami.
Brushing aside the feared West Indies quicks of the 1970s and 1980s, Shami said Ishant, Jasprit Umesh Bhuvneshwar and he have become the leaders of the Indian pace attack, which has traditionally relied on spinners.
“You and everyone else in the world will agree to this -- that no team has ever had five fast bowlers together as a package,” Mohammad Shami said.
“Not just now, in the history of cricket, this might be the best fast-bowling unit in the world,” Shami in an online chat for ESPNcricinfo.
When reminded of the West Indies pace packs of the 1970s and 1980s, Shami said India still has fast bowlers waiting on the sidelines to take over.
“We have a bowler on the bench who can work up speeds of 145-48 kph (over 90mph),” said the pacer, who has 180 wickets from 49 Tests in his kitty.
Shami also said in that program he played the game very smartly and stepped up when everybody was tired in the second innings.
“I use the game very smartly in the second innings. Like in the recent match we played in Vizag (against South Africa) where I got a five-for, the pitch was pretty dead and wasn’t offering any bounce,” Shami told former India wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta on Cricketbaazi, a talk show on ESPNcricinfo
“you need to use the available conditions smartly. I am usually pumped up in the second innings when everyone else is tired,” he also said.
“Everyone has spent three days on the field. Diesel engines take time to pick up compared to petrol ones. I wait patiently for everyone to tire out. You have five days in a Test match. Once everyone is tired, I step up,” he concluded.
