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.

Even Harshal Patel, who excels in death overs and was returning from injury, is yet to find his groove in getting his slow yorkers right and has conceded plenty in the matches that India lost.

The only bowler who has got his yorkers right is Arshdeep Singh who has just played 13 games for India. But it remains to be seen if the youngster can cope with the pressure of a World Cup game, which is the pinnacle of all tournaments.

A lot will depend on all-rounder Hardik Pandya who will have to consistently deliver the four overs for his captain Rohit Sharma.

Pandya’s four overs will be crucial if one of the main bowlers have a bad day.

It’s been a long restless wait of 15 years for the passionate 1.5 billion Indian fans after the triumph in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007.

And everyone would be hoping that Shami would rise to the occasion and produce match-winning performances in the absence of Bumrah, India’s greatest match-winner with the ball.

Anis Sajan is the vice-chairman of Danube Group