Senior bowler Mohammed Shami sent a stern message to the bowling unit after India lost to England by five wickets in the first Test match at Headingley. England chased down 371—their second-highest fourth innings target in Test history—after the bowling unit as a whole failed to provide the necessary support, despite a strong showing from Jasprit Bumrah, who claimed five wickets in the first innings.
India had a disappointing start to the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle as a result of the loss. Notably, India scored five hundreds in the two innings, but the hosts won the match and grabbed a lead in the five-match series due to a lacklustre bowling display on a pitch that had something to offer pacers.
In the first innings, Bumrah’s final stats were 5/83. Nevertheless, openers Ben Duckett (149) and Zak Crawley (65), who took on the other pacers in the second innings, tackled Bumrah early. Mohammed Shami, however, asked India’s bowlers to take a cue from Bumrah and carry out their strategies correctly.
“Other Indian bowlers ought to speak with and pick up tips from Bumrah. They ought to assist him and discuss strategies with him. We can win the match with ease if they back Bumrah. Regarding the first game, I believe we need to improve our bowling a bit,” Shami stated on his YouTube page.
We offered too many easy runs, which is why England won: Mohammed Shami
After Bumrah’s brilliant first innings, Mohammed Shami, who is currently recovering from an injury and is not included in the squad, watched from the sidelines as the Indian attack failed to put the English hitters on the defensive. Ravindra Jadeja struggled to regularly worry the hitters, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna were ineffectual, while Mohammed Siraj was unable to turn his efforts into wickets.
In the second innings, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna both took two wickets, however by the time Shardul got rid of two England batsmen, India had lost the match. Getting wickets with the new ball is crucial. They have to back Bumrah. We conceded too many easy runs, which is why England won the first Test. We must figure out how to strengthen our bowling attack,” he continued.
Interestingly, Siraj was not included in the attack between overs 42 and 80 on Day 5, even though he occasionally looked dangerous in addition to Bumrah. Despite having a successful time playing county cricket, Arshdeep Singh was not selected. But with the second Test coming up in a few weeks, the visitors will be hoping to alter their strategy and mount a formidable comeback.
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