'One word I use for him is 'Torture'. Even Kohli, Rohit hate playing him in nets'': Karthik on 'unplayable' India bowler
Team India have one of the best bowling attacks in the world. An example of that was on display on Day 1 and 3 of the opening Test match of Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Nagpur against Australia. But who among them have been toughest bowler for the Indian team?
Team India have one of the best bowling attacks in the world. An example of that was on display on Day 1 and 3 of the opening Test match of Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Nagpur against Australia. Ravindra Jadeja was the star bowler in the first innings while Ashwin picked a fi-fer in the second innings. India also have a dominating unit of pace bowlers which have helped the team bag success in overseas series. But who among them have been toughest bowler for the Indian team?
Veteran India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, in conversation with Cricbuzz on ‘Rise of New India’ show, picked Mohammed Shami as the “toughest bowler” he has ever faced in the Indian side. He further added that even “legends” like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have "hated" playing Shami.
“If I have to use one word for Shami it will be 'Torture Shami'. Because in my whole career, he is the toughest bowler I have faced in the nets, he has got me out a couple of times as well in the match. But he has been nasty to play in the nets. I thought I was the only one so then I asked Kohli, Rohit, and they are all legends of the game and they all said they hate playing Shami,” he said.
Karthik further explained that more than Shami's “upright seam position”, it is the length of his bowling that makes him equally dangerous and unlucky at times as well.
“What makes him so special is - all of his strength come into play in net session, his upright seam position, his natural length, that nasty length of 6-8 metre mark, where the two major mode of dismissals are caught behind or caught at slip. And you can see why he has been unlucky over a period of time as well because that length says that he gets the batsman beaten numerous times but never gets that wicket. He has travelled overseas in series where he constantly ended up being the bad bowler because he is the bowler got gets most deliveries beaten, but never the amount of wickets to show for,” he explained.
“For a fast bowler, the revs are close to 1000 rpm when the ball is released, but for Shami it is close to 1500-1600. That is what makes him special. When you have that amount of backs-spin, when there is little bit of the wicket, he is literally unplayable,” he added.
