Raipur, India
Indian seamer Mohammed Shami was adjudged the Man of the Match for his game-changing three-wicket spell against New Zealand in the second ODI in Raipur on Saturday. From dismissing Finn Allen on zero in the first over to grabbing a stunning return catch of Daryl Mitchell off his own bowling, Shami was all over the Kiwis in the 2nd ODI. Addressing the media after Indiaâs eight-wicket win, Shami was asked about his role in the team, how is he managing his workload in this tight year of the World Cup and much more.
To begin with Shami talked about the conditions in Raipur saying they werenât as good as their bowling and the scorecard made it look.
âThe conditions were not as good as it seemed. They got out early, but conditions were not overtly bowler friendly. We dismissed them cheaply by bowling a testing length,â Shami said.
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In absence of the ace bowler Jasprit Bumrah, Shami has led the attack and has done well in the shorter formats. Elaborating on what his role is or what has been asked out of him by the team management, Shami said, âMy role hasnât changed since I have come into the team. The only thing is to keep working on the fitness and diet. We have got big events coming up, so the aim is to contribute in every game.â
2023 is a big year for the Indian cricket team as they have some huge series coming up in the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia, then the Asia Cup followed by the much-awaited 50-over World Cup at home.
When asked about how is he managing his workload in this tight-scheduled cricket calendar, Shami said by staying in the good zone and by playing more matches he would like to prepare for the bigger events.
âI always prefer playing matches over practice. It is always better to play maximum numbers of games to get ready for a big event. The workload is being managed properly. I just hope the main players stay in a good zone ahead of the World Cup,â Shami added.
The Indian team will face New Zealand in the final ODI on Tuesday in Indore.