Bengaluru, Dec 9: Showing no signs of rust, Mohammed Shami carried Bengal to the quarterfinals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy by smashing a game-changing 17-ball-32 and bowling 13 dot balls in his four overs that paved way for his team’s thrilling three-run win against Chandigarh, here Monday.
With no clarity over his international comeback, the 34-year-old played his eighth SMAT T20 game in 16 days and has bowled his full quota in almost all the games.
On the day, he first used long handle to a good effect, taking 19 runs off seasoned Sandeep Sharma’s final over as Bengal reached 159 for 9 after tottering at 114 for 8.
He crunched two sixes and three fours, mostly flashing through point region but the final wicket stand of 21 off 10 balls with Sayan Ghosh proved crucial.
Veteran Kolkata Maidan slinger Ghosh (4/30), who is known to be a death overs specialist, bowled a brilliant final over where 11 runs were required as Nikhil Sharma’s planning went all awry. Chandigarh were restricted to 156 for 9.
Shami looked bowling fit
Having already warmed up nicely by facing 17 deliveries, Shami bowled a very good first spell and removed opener Arsalan Z Khan off the very third delivery, caught by Shakir Habib Gandhi.
Compared to his first Ranji Trophy game against Madhya Pradesh where he looked overweight and slightly paunchy despite bowling 42 overs, Monday’s Shami looked leaner and the famous upright seam presentation was very much there.
During the Ranji match, many experts debated how his follow-through, which is pretty straight post delivery, was ending towards cover which is an indication that he was unable to complete his action.
But on Monday, the follow-through looked way more straighter than that comeback game.
He bowled at an average speed of 135 clicks with one delivery cranking in the range of 139 kmph. During the first spell of three overs, he went for only 11 runs which included one lofted boundary by Manan Vohra and a streaky four by Amrit Lal Lubana, who was hurried into a stroke that became a Chinese cut.
In the final over which was the penultimate of the innings, he was picked for a boundary and a six when he tried a slowish off-break which was picked by Jagjit Singh Sandhu.
In all, Shami has now played nine domestic games — one Ranji Trophy (42.3 overs) and eight SMAT T20 games (31.3 over). He has bowled a total of 64 overs and taken 16 wickets.
Is Shami fit for Test level?
He looks pretty much on course even though it is a four-over format but in a Test match as a premier bowling partner of Jasprit Bumrah, he would be expected to bowl at least three if not four spells of 20 overs in a day on an average. He would also need to field 100 overs.
It is believed that national selectors are willing to pick him as and when he is deemed fit but there is a discussion in the BCCI corridors that the veteran speedster himself has told the NCA medical team that “he is still not Test match ready”.
He has been telling his assessors that he has no problems while bowling but feels a bit of swelling in his knee after matches, something that Test skipper Rohit Sharma also mentioned in his media interaction after losing the Adelaide Test.
Rinku, Vipraj star for UP
A composed Rinku Singh was overshadowed by an unheralded Vipraj Nigam as they displayed excellent finishing skills to take Uttar Pradesh into the quarter-finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, beating Andhra by four wickets here on Monday.
UP will take on Delhi in the last eight clash after Rinku (27 not out off 22 balls) and Vipraj (27 not out off 8 balls) added 48 runs in just three overs to finish the 157-run chase in 19 overs.
UP were cruising at one stage, having reached 70 for no loss in just 8.1 overs before a slump saw them skidding to 109 for six.
This was when Rinku was joined by Delhi Capitals’ new recruit Vipraj. With 48 needed off 24 balls, KV Sasikanth went for 22 in the 17th over as the match turned on its head. While Rinku hit a six, it was Vipraj, whose free-flowing strokes became instant hit as the ball soared over backward point, extra cover and wide long-on for maximums. There was no doubt about him getting the player of the match award as Vipraj also was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 20 with his leg-breaks.
Earlier, Andhra never had any momentum for the better part of their innings as they were crawling at 113 for 6 in 17.2 overs when another new recruit of Delhi Capitals, Tripurana Vijay was dismissed for a run-a-ball 16. Before that, skipper Ricky Bhui hit two sixes in his 23 off 18 balls but never really got going. (PTI)
