India having quality pacers and spinners creates major headaches to oppositions: Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami, the Indian fast bowler, reckons that the national team has formed a bowling unit, which has tended to confuse oppositions in recent times. Even a decade ago, the Indian pace contingent wasn’t deemed a lethal one, and the spinners mostly dictated terms. However, the likes of Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami himself have wreaked havoc.

In the recent tour of Australia, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur also showed their class in the absence of key stalwarts. Shami feels that due to the variety in India’s bowling contingent, opponents have found it tough to prepare the pitches.

They know our batting might: Mohammed Shami

“I have always felt this way. Be it our spinners or our pacers our unit is such that it confuses those foreign teams as to the kind of wicket they should prepare for us. If they give us a spinning track, they know that Indians are famous for their spinners.

“But today, even if they give us a seaming track, they are aware that India pacers are not going to let them breathe. The unit has created major headaches to oppositions,” Shami told Cricbuzz.

“They know our batting might but now they are troubled by the bowlers too, unable to understand how they should manage our bowlers. ‘Should we give a spinning track or seaming track, they are confused.’ We accept that we have 3-4 quality spinners and 3-4 quality pacers, now you give us whatever you want to,” he added.

Shami, himself, has been a lethal prospect for Team India with the ball in hand. In 50 Tests, he has picked up 180 wickets. India, led by Virat Kohli, are now set to play in the final of the World Test Championship, starting June 18 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.

Thereafter, Virat’s men would be locking horns with Joe Root’s England in a Test series on the latter’s backyard. Since October 2018, India have lost only one out of eight Test series.

Though they lost to New Zealand, they also beat Australia in the back-to-back Test series. Earlier this year, India also rolled over England after falling 0-1 down in the series.