India wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik, many among others, feels that Team India is missing Mohammed Shami badly. That was also evident with the way the team bowled in the first India vs South Africa Test at Centurion, where Dean Elgar alone scored 185, and pushed India out of the match. Jasprit Bumrah, it looked like, was missing his bowling partner Shami as well.
“The man has grown in stature as a bowler and as a leader of the pack. He is an able lieutenant to Jasprit Bumrah. You can imagine with the upright seam on this kind of pitch. I promise you, he would have definitely gotten a few wickets. The Indian team really misses him,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
Bumrah, throughout the match, did not get much support from other bowlers, who went for plenty of runs. “Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna going for close to 118 runs in their 27 overs. On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj going for just 111 in their 31 overs.
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“Siraj was a tad bit expensive, especially in the last spell, they also bowled some brilliant balls. You could see every time they were on, you got the feeling that they could get you a wicket or two. Whereas with Shardul or Prasidh, you had to wait for a batter to make a mistake,” he added.
Now India would be looking to draw the series level, when they begin the second Test at Cape Town on January 3.
The post ‘Able lieutenant to Bumrah’: Dinesh Karthik rues absence of Mohammed Shami appeared first on Inside Sport India.