Cricket

SA vs IND 2023: India missed Mohammed Shami – Sanjay Manjrekar after huge loss in opening Test


Cricket expert Sanjay Manjrekar feels India missed the services of Mohammed Shami in the opening Test match against South Africa, which India lost by a huge margin of an innings and 32 runs. Shami is well known for his upright seam position but he has been ruled out of the two-match series due to an ankle injury.

Shami ended the ODI World Cup 2023 as the highest wicket-taker with 24 scalps in seven matches and he bowled with an impressive average of 10.71, including three five-wicket hauls and one four-wicket haul. Thus, the experienced fast bowler was in red-hot form.

In Shami’s absence, India went with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, and debutant Prasidh Krishna. But barring Bumrah (4-69), none of the other fast bowlers could make an impact in favorable conditions. Thakur and Krishna also conceded their runs at 5.30 and 4.70 respectively and thus failed to provide any support to Bumrah.

“India missed Mohammed Shami. Because you are talking about getting the most out of the pitch by hitting the pitch and not looking for movement in the air. What does Shami do best? He gets movement on Indian pitches, where there is hardly any. So, he would have been a handful,” Sanjay Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.

Manjrekar added that Indian bowlers would have realized they needed to bowl differently and would have taken their lessons after conceding 408 runs.

“The main takeaway, apart from getting a few more runs on the board, is that you got to bowl differently, and the Indian seamers, the quality bowlers that we have, have realised that now.”

The former batter feels the Indian bowlers bowled a tad fuller in the initial phase and later adjusted their lengths but it was too late by then as South Africa had already put enough runs on the board.

“If you remember the first over that Jasprit Bumrah bowled, he was trying big inswingers, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur as well. There were three men in the covers to the left-hander Dean Elgar, and they were pitching the ball up, trying to get him to drive. Those were floaty kinds of deliveries, and India learned after that that we are not getting too much help, so let’s shorten our length. By the time India realized the South African way of getting more out of the pitch, enough runs were already scored,” Manjrekar said.

The second Test match between South Africa and India will be played at the Newlands, Cape Town from January 3.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

India’s Junior Men Clinch Bronze with Gritty 2-1 Win Over Australia in Four Nations Tournament

The Indian junior men’s hockey team wrapped up their campaign at the Four Nations Tournament… Read More

June 26, 2025

Suryakumar Yadav Undergoes Successful Sports Hernia Surgery, Eyes Return for Bangladesh Tour

India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has successfully undergone surgery for a sports hernia in his… Read More

June 26, 2025

Golden Glove Winner Jaspreet Singh Joins Bengaluru FC in Key Summer Move

Bengaluru FC have taken a decisive step toward rebuilding their squad by signing goalkeeper Jaspreet… Read More

June 26, 2025

Ravi Shastri says opening Test loss against England is a tough pill to swallow for India

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri believes the opening Test loss against England is a… Read More

June 26, 2025

Varun Aaron says England batters’ approach made Jasprit Bumrah desperate for wickets in 2nd innings of 1st Test

Former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron believes England batters were able to find a way… Read More

June 26, 2025

Varun Aaron says Karun Nair will be disappointed with his opening Test performance against England

Former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron believes Karun Nair will be disappointed after he failed… Read More

June 26, 2025