India’s veteran fast bowler Mohammad Shami has opined that the way the ball was moving, there was no need to make any changes. Rohit Sharma had decided to bowl first after winning the toss on a green Kennington Oval, London pitch and the conditions were also overcast.
Thus, it was a paradise for the fast bowlers, and Shami and Bumrah made the most of it to put England on the ropes. Bumrah scalped four wickets in his first spell whereas Shami got rid of Ben Stokes.
Jasprit Bumrah was just unplayable as he got the ball to swing and seam. Bumrah bowled in the right areas and let the pitch do the rest of the work for him. On the other hand, Shami was also relentless and gave nothing away to the England batters.
Bumrah returned with his best ODI bowling figures of 6-19 and bowled a total of 38 dot balls in his spell. Shami returned with impressive figures of 3-31 as he provided great support to his bowling partner. England was skittled out for only 110 runs and India chased down the score convincingly in 18.4 overs.
Shami told bowling coach Paras Mhambrey in an interview on bcci.tv: “The way the ball was moving around, there was no need to make any changes. The combination that was set was very good and the bowlers bowled a great length, that’s why we were able to claim 10 wickets so quickly. And yes, records are amazing, they remain a great memory.”
“When we started bowling, we realized that the ball was stopping a little and seaming as well. It was very important to bowl in the right areas. The boys played to the best of their ability. This kind of victory sets an example as to how you should start a series. We kept it simple and we were successful.”
Meanwhile, Shami became the fastest Indian bowler to take 150 wickets in the 50-overs version. The fast bowler took 80 matches and broke former pacer Ajit Agarkar’s record, who had achieved the milestone in 97 matches.
Shami added that he is very comfortable with his teammates after making a return to ODI cricket following a long hiatus of almost three years.
“It was not a small break, it was almost a three-year break in ODIs. But I wasn’t thinking much as I am very comfortable with the boys. We have been playing together for the last 10 years.
“Everyone knows their job, so it is important to keep your mind clear. If you have a big heart, you can do well in any situation irrespective of the format.”
The second ODI will be played at the Mecca of Cricket, Lord’s on Thursday.
