IND vs AUS | Shami is a very skillful bowler and will be sorely missed, insists Andy Flower
KXIP's assistant coach Andy Flower reckons that Mohammed Shami will be greatly missed in the Test series as he finds him a very skilful fast bowler. He also added that India have the capability of bouncing back in the Test series despite losing the Adelaide Test, though it will be tough to do so.
Injuries and absence of big players has played a spoilsport for India in the ongoing Test series. After Ishant Sharma was ruled out of the entire series and Rohit Sharma from the first two Tests, Mohammed Shami became the latest entrant to the list of injured players. In India's second innings, he was hit by a nasty bouncer which fractured his right hand. He couldn't even bowl in India's second innings and later was ruled out of the entire series, leaving Jasprit Bumrah as the only first-choice seamer for India in the series. Shami had bowled effectively in the first innings without any wicket and was supposed to be a key factor in the series.
Former English coach and presently, KXIP's assistant coach, Andy Flower, who worked closely with Shami in the 2020 IPL, feels he will be greatly missed for the top-notch skills he brings to the plate. He also stated that Shami's injury puts a lot of pressure on Bumrah to take wickets and help India with the bowling attack as they take on the Aussies at MCG from Saturday.
"Shami will be sorely missed. That's for sure. He's a very skillful bowler. I met him while I was at Kings XI Punjab. The way he holds that seam up and the nippy pace that he generates from that whippy action of his, is really impressive to watch. So, he's going to be missed. Burmah is an outstanding bowler in any format. So, yes, the burden is on his shoulders to make inroads with the ball. But that's not beyond him. He's an outstanding performer," Flower told Timesofindia.com.
After losing the first Test comprehensively, India will have the difficult task of bouncing back in the series that too without their regular skipper Virat Kohli. Flower, however, reckons that India have the ability to turn around things as they had won the 2017/18 series Down Under.
"Well, India won the last Test series they played in Australia. So, they certainly have the capability of doing that. I don't doubt that. It will be tough to come back from that first loss, though. But they have the capacity to do that. It's (Australia) a very difficult place to tour. Australians are very good in their backyard. They know the conditions at each of their six Test venues very well. They understand the conditions and how to exploit them. So, India have to be right at the top of their game, if they need to make a comeback in the second Test match. So, it'll be very interesting to watch how they come back. "
The former Zimbabwe cricketer also heaped praises on KL Rahul's batting class as he applauded his strokeplay with the bat and calmness on the field. He also added that the Indian T20I opener is a positive thinker and it's good to be in his company.
"I really really loved working with KL. He is a beautiful batsman to watch play. He plays aesthetically beautiful shots. He is very stylish, stands tall above the ball. He can do well in Australia actually with his technique. I also liked working with him as a captain. I thought he was very calm. He always had a positive outlook in preparation for a game, at training, in talking, selection matters with him, in talking technical matters with him."
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