Since the beginning of the tournament, there has been a strong belief among cricket experts and fans that Mohammed Shami deserved a place in India's playing eleven. However, the Indian team management opted to go with Shardul Thakur instead. It wasn't until the fifth match of the ongoing ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 that Shami finally had his opportunity to represent Team India.
In the match against New Zealand, Shami demonstrated his value by taking a five-wicket haul in his ten-over spell. His performance played a crucial role in India limiting the Kiwis to a score below 300.
Former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan drew a parallel between Mohammed Shami and a "Ferrari" after the 33-year-old secured a five-wicket haul against New Zealand at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday.
"Mohammed Shami is like Ferrari. Whenever you take it out of garage it will give you same speed thrill and joy to ride every time," Irfan Pathan stated on X (formerly Twitter).
Mohammed Shami Broke Several Records With Fifer Against New Zealand In World Cup 2023
With is exceptional performance against the Kiwis, Shami broke several records. He became the first Indian cricketer to achieve two five-wicket hauls in the history of the ODI World Cup. In addition, Shami went past Anil Kumble to become India's second-highest wicket-taker in ODI World Cups.
Talking about the IND vs NZ match, India opted to field first and had a promising start, reducing the Kiwis to 19/2 during the powerplay. However, a 159-run partnership between Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra enabled New Zealand to stage a comeback. Nevertheless, India mounted a comeback in the later stages, eventually dismissing the Kiwis for 273 runs in 50 overs. Shami was the standout bowler for India, finishing with figures of 5/54, while Kuldeep Yadav also made a noteworthy contribution, taking 2/73. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj chipped in with a wicket each.
India were without the services of their star all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, who was ruled out of the game due to an ankle injury that he sustained during India’s match against Bangladesh. He is expected to join the Indian squad ahead of their match against the defending champions England on October 29 (Sunday) in Lucknow.
It remains to be seen what changes will team India make if Hardik Pandya if and when Hardik Pandya becomes fit and available for selection.