T20 World Cup: Will Shami do the job for Team India?

So who is that bowler Team India selectors want to replace Jasprit Bumrah with? The much-awaited question has been finally answered.

And it is Mohammed Shami that has been given the responsibility to lead the Indian attack in the absence of the injured Bumrah.

India had earlier picked Shami and Deepak Chahar in the reserves but now with Chahar also being ruled out due to a back injury, the think-tank added Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur in the reserves, who were on the same plane to Australia along with Shami.

There were speculations and rumors about who would get the nod to replace the brilliant Bumrah.

All the cricket fans and experts wanted Shami because of his experience. But for the record, Shami last played in the Indian jersey in the T20 World Cup which was played in the UAE last year.

Shami did play for the Gujarat Titans, which won the IPL this year, and was their leading pace bowler. But that was way back in May.

He was due to get some match practice in the recently concluded series against Australia and South Africa but the dreaded Covid-19 virus kept him out.

India’s biggest problem has been their death bowling which was evident in the recently concluded Asia Cup where the team could not defend big totals in their losses against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Also in the first T20 of the recently played series against Australia, Mathew Wade snatched victory from India by taking Indian bowlers to the cleaners.

Of late India’s most experienced bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been found wanting in the death overs and has gone for plenty in almost all the games that India lost.

Anis Sajan is the vice-chairman of Danube Group