Stats: Mohammed Shami and his second innings heroics in Test cricket

India produced many pacers in the past who could hit 140 kph regularly but most of them faded away failing to maintain both speed and consistency. Though Mohammed Shami isn’t one of them. The 28-year-old might be contained to bowling in India majority of his career on lesser helpful pitches to the pacers but his numbers in Test cricket never suggest it. Shami has excelled in using the reverse swing on offer and as the match progresses, he becomes a lethal weapon with the old ball for Virat Kohli especially in the 2nd innings in any country.

Shami, at times, tries too much and goes ineffective in the first innings but gives out his best every time in the 2nd innings. In the 34 Test matches he has played thus far, one of India’s fastest bowler has claimed 124 wickets at 29.19 and 51.1 balls for every wicket. In the first innings of the opposition, Shami’s 67 wickets at an average of 33.48 but in his strength, the 2nd innings, the speedster has bagged 57 wickets at a brilliant average of 24.16.

Highest difference between first innings and second innings bowling averages among pacers in Test cricket:

His performances helped him to be called “Swinging Shami” and “Second innings Shami”. The difference of 9.32 between first innings and 2nd innings average of Shami is the fifth best among the pacers who have taken 50 wickets in both first and second innings of the opposition in the longest format of the game.

England’s Andy Caddick leads the list with a difference of 16.25 as he averaged 37.06 in his first innings but his 103 wickets in the 2nd innings came at only 20.82. India’s pace spearhead Ishant Sharma finds the 7th position in the list with a difference of 8.54.

Mohammed Shami has a bowling strike rate of 44.7 in the second innings in Test cricket which is the best for any Indian with 25 and more wickets. Another Indian speedster, Umesh Yadav comes next to Shami in the list with bowling S/R of 47.5. Umesh, in fact, has a difference of 16.16 between first innings and second innings average but has only 49 wickets to his name at the fag end of a Test.

Best bowling strike-rate among Indians in the 2nd innings in Test cricket:

(Stats as on September 6, 2018)

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