The current era of Test cricket is considered to be a bowler-friendly one. Whether that is because of bowlers getting better at their craft or batters not equipped with better technique and temperament to counter the bowling, that is up for debate. Despite that, when we discuss one of the best bowlers going around in the world, one name that goes under the radar is Mohammed Shami. In a country with a spin-rich tradition and history, Shami’s emergence as India’s pace spearhead is heart-warming and inspiring.
When it comes to the most effective and impactful bowler that India have produced, Shami might not be the obvious name that springs up in one’s mind. For all Indian bowlers with a minimum of 50 Test wickets, Shami has the best strike rate of 49.8 for his 209 wickets in 57 Test matches. Jasprit Bumrah has the next best strike rate of 51.5 for his 113 wickets. Surprisingly, for a country that has produced some of the best spinners in Test matches, the top three bowlers with the best strike rates are all pacers. Ravichandran Ashwin is fourth on the list with a strike rate of 52.7 – the best for an Indian spinner.
Shami’s outstanding numbers aren’t just a result of his performances in away tours in countries like South Africa, England New Zealand, or Australia. His numbers at home are significantly better than his away numbers. Shami has picked up 62 wickets at home, averaging 21.08 with a strike rate of 42.4. Away from home, his numbers are still quite good – 143 Test wickets (AVG: 29.76; SR: 52.8) – but they are no match to his figures in India.
For all the bowlers to have taken at least 50 Test wickets in India, no one has a better strike rate than Shami’s 42.4. Shami’s bowling average of 21.08 is the third-best as well. Both figures are marginally better than R Ashwin, who is arguably one of India’s biggest match-winners.
Second-innings Shami
A lot of Shami’s success comes late in the match – in the second innings. In India’s first innings with the ball, Shami has taken 114 wickets at an average of 30.35, striking at 55.3. These numbers improve a lot in the second innings, where Shami has picked up 95 wickets 23.26 runs apiece, and a wicket every 43.1 balls. Only four bowlers in the world have taken more wickets than Shami at a better strike rate.
There is a reason behind the difference in Shami’s numbers in both innings. Shami bowls with arguably the best upright seam position in the world at the moment. This not only allows him the chance to swing the ball in the air, but it gives him a greater chance of the ball seaming off the pitch. With the pitches going through natural wear and tear as the Test match progresses, it tends to aid more to the bowlers who can bowl with an upright seam. And with the drier-than-normal pitches in India causing a lot more wear and tear on the ball, his upright seam position also helps him to get the ball to reverse in the air – a skill Shami possesses in abundance and uses to great advantage due to his nippy pace.
This also reflects in his numbers irrespective of the innings he is bowling in. Opening the bowling, Shami has picked up 107 wickets at an average of 28.49 and a strike rate of 53.4. But whenever he comes to bowl as a first-change bowler, his numbers improve considerably. His figures as a first-change bowler are – 77 wickets at 24.74 with a wicket every 43.2 balls.
With such outstanding figures, Mohammed Shami is currently one of the best bowlers going around in Men’s Test cricket. And to have such remarkable statistics despite being a fast bowler who plays a large portion of his Tests in Indian conditions, where the conditions aren’t quite suitable for his bowling style, is even more remarkable. With two Tests coming up against Sri Lanka, Shami would be looking to add to his tally of wickets and further improve his record, establishing himself as one of India’s all-time great bowlers.