Sanjay Manjrekar says Team India was missing experienced bowler Mohammed Shami during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Centurion.
India was defeated by South Africa by an innings and 32 runs, their largest-ever Test defeat on South African soil. While the visitors scored 245 and 131 runs, the Proteas scored 408 runs in the first innings.
Shami’s presence, according to Manjrekar, would have boosted the Men in Blue’s bowling assault, especially given the seam-friendly conditions in Centurion.
Mohammed Shami was missed in India. What does Shami excel at?
Mohammed Shami was missed in India. Because you’re referring to getting the most out of the pitch by hitting it rather than searching for movement in the air. On Indian pitches, where there isn’t much, he gets movement. So he’d have been a handful,” he said to ESPNcricinfo.
The cricketer-turned-commentator believes the Indian bowlers have recognized the areas they need to focus on to thrive on South African wickets, adding:
“Apart from scoring a few extra runs on the board, the key lesson is that you have to bowl differently, and the Indian seamers, the quality bowlers we have, have realized that now.”
This year, Mohammed Shami has been India’s top performer with the ball. He was ruled out of the team’s current two-match Test series against South Africa owing to an ankle injury.
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Enough runs had already been scored by the time India grasped the South African method of getting more out of the pitch – Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar said that the Indian fast bowlers made a tactical error by pitching the ball up early in the innings in quest for a swing.
He emphasized how, by the time India modified their strategy, the home team had amassed a large number of runs off full-length deliveries.
“If you recall, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur all tried massive inswingers in the opening over. Three men were tossing the ball up to left-hander Dean Elgar in the covers, hoping to induce him to drive.”
“Those were floaty deliveries, and India quickly understood that we aren’t receiving much support, so let’s cut our length.”Enough runs had already been scored by the time India realized the South African method of getting more out of the pitch,” Manjrekar added.”
Jasprit Bumrah was the Indian spinner of choice in the Boxing Day Test, ending with a four-wicket haul. However, he did not have much help from the other bowlers, as Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna both allowed a lot of runs.
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