Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and I enjoy each other’s success, attests Mohammad Shami
BCCI
Seasoned paceman Mohammad Shami has revealed that it’s the bowling unit’s collective effort that matters and his mates, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav, bagging the bulk of wickets is just a part of it. Shami further spoke about his fitness, a department he is now very satisfied with.
Shami might have scalped just two wickets in the recently concluded maiden D/N Test between India and Bangladesh, but the effort behind it was more than what numbers might suggest. While Ishant and Umesh both bagged a five-wicket haul each, it was Shami consistently bowling short deliveries to push the batsman back. Â
The 30-year-old is also savouring to the make a white-ball comeback in New Zealand and is happy with India’s success in the Test series against Bangladesh.
“[In the Kolkata Test] Umesh (Yadav) and Ishant (Sharma) picked up the bulk of the wickets. And some have asked me why was I bowling short on Day 2. My job was to bowl fast and bowl short and push the batsmen back. I was setting them up and Umesh and Ishant were picking up wickets from the other end. That’s what I mean by working as a team. In Indore I had picked up wickets while here in Kolkata it was Umesh and Ishant,” revealed Shami, as quoted by Economic Times.
With time, Shami has understood the importance of fitness and is aware that he is fitter than ever. For that, the pacer has revealed that he had to do away with many indulgences like giving up biryani.Â
“Yes, I am in the best physical shape I have ever been. Pehle itna jante nahi the, pata nahi tha ki kya karna hai. (Earlier I didn’t know much; didn’t know what I needed to do). With time I have learnt what all I need to do to stay fit,” he stated.
“I have stopped eating biryani, which I love to eat. Yes, I had a little biryani the day before in the dressing room but that was just for the taste. When you come to Kolkata, it is impossible to stay off it completely! But, honestly speaking, I have given up on all my indulgences. I feel much better and I know to do what I do for my team I have to make a few sacrifices. The love and affection I get from Indian cricket fans more than make up for it.”
