Childhood habit helps Mohammed Shami to reverse the ball

Despite Indian spinners claiming most of the wickets in the first Test match of the series against New Zealand, Indian pace man Mohammed Shami has impressed one and all.

On Day 5 of the Test match, India tasted success as Ravindra Jadeja claimed the wicket of the well set Loke Ronchi as he tried to hit against the left-arm spin of Jadeja. Thereafter, India had to wait for some time to get a wicket. It was Shami, who opens his wicket column as the old ball starts reversing.

The 26-year old got one to swing back to catch BJ Watling, who is known for his defence was plumbed infront of the wicket. Shami doesn’t stop, as he went around the wicket to left handed Mark Craig to get the ball sneak through the gap between bat and the pad to uproot the middle stump.

Shami’s coach said that the ability to reverse is natural to Shami as he was never allowed to bowl with the new ball during his early days. “His (Shami’s) magic with reverse swing is natural as he was never allowed to bowl with the new ball during his early days in his village,” said coach Barauddin told HT from Amroha, from where the bowler hails.

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“He (Shami) used to bowl with the old ball in tournaments and even after a match used to rub it for further practice against young kids. He always wanted to be called a fast bowler. That’s why he used to get the old ball. It was disappointing initially, but he made the most of it,” he added.

Speaking about the pavilion end of the Green Park pitch, which recorded for all the wickets of the New Zealand second innings, the curator Shiv Kumar said, “There were some solid footmarks for the bowlers near the stumps at the media end and that’s the reason why Ashwin and Jadeja could spin the ball while bowling from the pavilion end.”