Sanjay Manjrekar picks Mohammed Shami as India’s all-format best bowler in the last home season

India had a stupendous season ever since the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales. The Men in Blue managed to remain unbeaten in every other series. To start with they beat South Africa and then decimated Bangladesh. Virat Kohli and Co then brushed aside the West Indies in the ODI and T20I series. They lost matches in between, but also made strong comebacks to show their class.

They are currently on top of the points table in the ICC World Test Championship with 360 points. Leave alone losing a game, India have come trumps in every other encounter. Their next series will be in the two-match Test series in New Zealand, starting in the third week of February. One of the major reasons behind their success at the highest level have been their fast bowlers.

India bowlers shining

Jasprit Bumrah injured himself prior to the series versus South Africa. But Umesh Yadav came in an cracked a few bones with some deadly bouncers. Bumrah recently played his comeback in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka after recovering from a stress fracture on his lower back. Mohammed Shami has been another speedster, who hasn’t flattered to deceive by any means.

He has shone, especially in the second innings of a Test match where he picked up five-wicket hauls at ease. Shami was also the leading wicket-taker in ODIs in 2019, picking up 42 wickets in 21 matches, including a hat-trick against Afghanistan. The spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav turned out to be key elements of the Indian bowling attack.

Of late, Sanjay Manjrekar, the former Indian cricketer, was asked about India’s best bowler in the last home season. A fan took to Twitter and wrote, “#AskSanjay Who’s been the best all-format bowler of the home season according to you?”

Bearing in mind the performances of the bowlers, the choice was expected to be a tough one. But Manjrekar didn’t have any hesitation in naming Shami as India’s best all-format bowler. He replied to the fan and wrote, “In all 3 formats? Got to go with Shami,”

Here is Sanjay Manjrekar’s tweet

In all 3 formats? Got to go with Shami. https://t.co/SLVfZAzlst

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) January 20, 2020