Five-star Shami shakes up SA

Indian pacer claims 5-44 as Proteas crumble for 197 in reply to visitors’ 327 on Day Three of the opening Test

Mohammed Shami’s sheer artistry with new and old ball fetched him another five-wicket haul as India seized control of the first Test against South Africa on the third day by extending their overall lead to 146 runs that could prove to be decisive.

Shami (16-5-44-5) and his pace bowling colleagues Jasprit Bumrah (7.2-2-16-2), Mohammed Siraj (15.3-1-45-1) and Shardul Thakur (11-1-51-2) further enhanced their reputation as world beaters by dismissing the Proteas for mere 197.

Ngidi sparks India’s collapse

The quartet neutralised Lungi Ngidi’s lion-hearted morning spell which saw him finish on 6 for 71 from 24 overs as India lost seven wickets from 55 runs to be all-out 
on 327.

SA’s Keegan Petersen is bowled by Mohd Shami on Day Three of the first Test yesterday. Pic/AFP

The wily old Shami, manfully shouldered the duties of a pace spearhead for the better part of the 62.3 overs because of Bumrah’s twisted ankle. He also completed a satisfying personal milestone of 200 Test wickets. With a first innings lead of 130, India at stumps reached 16 for 1 losing Mayank Agarwal’s wicket.

The Supersport Park strip after all the rain on the second day was at its spiciest best with all the underlying moisture aiding seam and swing bowling as 18 wickets fell on the day.

While Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada did well in the morning, Shami did way better in the afternoon in company of Bumrah, Siraj and Shardul.

If the Proteas pacers relied on steep bounce off good length to trouble the Indian middle and lower-order which caved in meekly, Shami used the angles of the crease very effectively and the movement off the pitch did the rest.

Conditions matter

The example was how he got Keegan Petersen and Aiden Markram with deliveries which were slightly different in execution.

In case of Petersen, Shami went slightly wide off the crease and unleashed an in-cutter that pitched on length and shaped in to take inside edge off his bat into the stumps.

In case of Markram, he came closer to the stumps and bowled one that looked shaping in but once it pitched, it just shaped away to hit the top of off stump. The difference was angles used and slight change in wrist positioning.

200
No. of Test wickets taken by Mohd Shami. It took 9,896 balls—the fewest by an Indian bowler—to reach the milestone

Brief scores
India 327 & 16-1 (KL Rahul 123,  M Agarwal 60, A Rahane 48; L Ngidi 6-71, K Rabada 3-72) v South Africa 197 (T Bavuma 52, de Kock 34; M Shami 5-44, J Bumrah 2-18, S Thakur 2-51)

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