New Delhi: Mohammed Shami once again rose to the occasion as his 7-wicket haul against New Zealand helped India break the Manchester curse and become the first finalist of the ongoing edition of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. Rohit Sharma-led Team India defeated Kane Williamson’s New Zealand by 70 runs in the first semi-final being played at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on November 15.
Virat Kohli’s 50th ODI century and Shreyas Iyer’s second consecutive ton in this mega tournament helped India post a mammoth of 397/4 in the first innings. However, the partnership between Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell almost took the match away from India.
It was Shami who brought the Men in Blue back into the match with quick and crucial breakthroughs. He picked up a 7-wicket haul in the crucial knockout game and now has 23 wickets in just 6 games. He has also become the leading wicket-taker in this tournament.
“I was waiting for my chances. I didn’t play a lot of white-ball cricket. My return started against New Zealand [in Dharamsala]. We talk a lot of variations, but I still believe in pitching it up and getting wickets with the new ball,” said Shami in the post-match presentation.
He also reflected on his disappointment for dropping the catch of Kane Williamson and said “I dropped Williamson’s catch, I shouldn’t have. I felt terrible. But the focus was to try and take pace off, see if they’re hitting it in the air. It was a chance we had to take [with the variations].”
“The wicket was very good, lots of runs were scored in the afternoon. There was some fear of dew, the grass had been shaved off from the wicket. If dew was there, it skids on and there’s a chance runs could’ve been made,” Shami concluded.
Team India will now face the winner of the semi-final 2 clash between Pat Cummins’ Australia and Temba Bavuma’s South Africa. The crucial knockout game will take place at Eden Gardens, on November 16. The winner of this match will compete against India at the Narendra Modi stadium in the final of the ODI World Cup 2023.
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