India vs Australia: ‘I have never seen him so lean’ – Virat Kohli lauds Mohammed Shami after Hyderabad win

India captain Virat Kohli heaped praise on fast-bowler Mohammed Shami after the hosts beat Australia by six wickets in the first ODI of the five-match series at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Shami ended the match with outstanding figures of 2/42 in 10 overs and played a pivotal role in helping India restrict the visitors for just 236/7 in 50 overs. Following the win, Kohli lauded the physical condition of the speedster and also stated that Shami’s form bodes well for the team considering the World Cup.

Also Read: At 99 for 4 - Virat Kohli told Ravi Shastri ‘this is good’

“I have never seen him (Shami) so lean. Got Maxi out with a beautiful ball. I haven’t seen him so hungrier. Heading into the World Cup, it’s a great sign for India,” Kohli said after the game. 

Indian bowlers came to the party in Hyderabad as they kept the scoring rate under check right through the course of the Australian innings. The hosts bowled a jaw-dropping 169 dot deliveries (28.1 overs) and the base for it was set by Shami and Jasprit Bumrah who gave away just 23 runs in the opening eight overs.

This was the reason why after the completion of the match, Kohli lauded the bowlers more despite MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav stitching together a match-winning stand for the fifth wicket.

Also Read: India vs Pakistan: Severing cricketing ties with nations not our domain - ICC tells BCCI

“It was a difficult sort of a game. We did a good job with the ball. You have experience with MS and flair with Kedar. I think Kedar and MS took responsibility, it was great. I think the bowling (won the game for us),” Kohli said.

India will play Australia in the second ODI on March 5 in Nagpur.