Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla praised bowler Mohammed Shami for his outstanding performance in their Ranji Trophy encounter against Madhya Pradesh.
Shami made his much anticipated comeback to competitive cricket on Thursday in the Ranji Trophy, following a year-long sabbatical due to an ankle injury. The seasoned speedster has begun to argue for his availability if needed, despite missing out on a call for the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
Shami looked nearly at his best in his first appearance since the ODI World Cup last year, which relieved the curious onlookers who had been waiting for his return.
He put Bengal in a solid position at the Holkar Stadium by bowling 19 overs in the first innings and returning with outstanding figures of 4/54.
The manner Shami conducted himself astounded Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who is confident that the right-arm pacer will reach new heights as he plays more games.
“Someone has come back after one year and has bowled 19 overs and taken so many wickets… what’s there to say? He came into the match without doing any match simulation. Can you imagine? But obviously, if he plays more, he will get better,” Laxmi said as quoted from ICC.
Shami was economical at first, scoring 0/34 in 10 overs. He took his time and bowled in two periods, giving up 16 runs in four overs and 18 runs in six overs.
However, Shami gained more self-assurance in the second half and shook the hosts with his captivating speed. He mostly hit Madhya Pradesh in the middle and at the bottom of the batting order.
The largest fish he caught during his competitive comeback was MP captain Shubham Sharma. By eliminating Saransh Jain, Kumar Kartikeya, and Kulwant Khejroliya, he cleared the tail-end.
“He bowled one six-over spell and one five-over spell. Players who bowl in the IPL don’t even know how to bowl more than four overs. He bowled the sort of spells fast bowlers are expected to. I have never seen a fast bowler come back so strongly after one year away. What he did today is like a fairy tale,” Laxmi added. (ANI)