Where is Mohammad Shami? Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma have had to answer the biggest question so far in the Cricket World Cup. But despite role clarity for the veteran pacer, there seems to be no place for him in India Playing XI. India have won all three games without Shami. And in the two games, even though Shardul Thakur has had no impact, he has been favoured. As India take on Bangladesh (India vs Bangladesh) on Thursday, the question will once again be repeated.
It’s not that Shardul Thakur is any better than Shami with the ball. Mohammad Shami has ticked all the boxes with a five-wicket haul against Australia ahead of the Cricket World Cup. But Shardul is a better batter down the order and offers the illusion of protection in case India need to bat deep.
Why is there no place for Mohd Shami?
Mohammad Siraj is World’s No 1 ODI bowler and with top performances, he has earned his place to be Jasprit Bumrah’s new ball partner. All-rounder Hardik Pandya is performing the role of a third pacer pretty well. And that makes it a problem to have another seamer in the Playing XI. Shardul Thakur might have bowled just 8 overs in total in two games, he remains an option. And if it’s a spin-friendly track like the one in Chennai, Ravichandran Ashwin comes into the Playing XI in place of Thakur. He complements Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja.
There seems to be crystal clarity even on the batting front. Unlike the 2019 edition, the lead up of which saw the number four position become a game of musical chairs, Shreyas Iyer, if he is fit, is the clear choice in that position. Even though he oozes X factor, Suryakumar Yadav has to wait for his return.
However, questions remain. Is injury-prone Hardik Pandya a reliable third seamer? Shardul’s role also becomes problematic as he hasn’t been required with the bat at number 8. Should India pick Mohammad Shami instead?
Former chief selector MSK Prasad is alright with that horses-for-courses approach.
“They are using horses for courses and it is working fantastically well for the team. If you see they used Ashwin in Chennai and Shardul for the other two games (in Delhi and Ahmedabad). Last game, Shardul was not required as the others did the job (he bowled only two overs),” MSK Prasad told PTI.
“Shami will come into the picture if they want to rotate Siraj. Replacements are very clear right now. SKY will replace Shreyas if there is a need, Ishan will replace Gill at the top and Shardul will play if it is a flat deck. Aswhin will come in his place if it is a turning track,” he added.
Is Hardik Pandya reliable?
Hardik Pandya seems to be the missing piece of the puzzle. He offers the perfect balance to the Playing XI. However, considering his history with injuries, should India rely on him to bowl 10 overs every game?
“With Hardik, you can’t expect him to bowl 10 overs in every game. The job that he is doing of bowling 5-6 overs per game, that is good enough. Team management seems to have absolute clarity on the role of every individual,” added Prasad.
As for Mohammad Shami, MSK Prasad believes he will only get an opportunity at the later stages of Cricket World Cup. Before that, India will continue to trust Shardul Thakur.
