Mohammed Shami bowled five wides [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x.com]
Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties and Mohammed Shami learned it the hard way in India’s high-stakes Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. The experienced pacer, who came into this game on the bag of a fifer, had a horror start as he bowled 11 deliveries in his opening over, landing himself on an unwanted list of Indian bowlers.
Five Wides And A Struggle To Find Rhythm
Mohammed Shami, entrusted with the new ball, just couldn’t get his radar right. The right-arm quick sprayed five wides, both down the leg and outside off, making it an over to forget.
With this, Shami joined an infamous club alongside Irfan Pathan (2006) and Zaheer Khan (2003) as the only Indian bowlers to have bowled 11-ball overs in ODIs. The common thread? All three instances came in the very first over of the innings.
Injury Adds to Shami’s Woes
As if the long over wasn’t enough, things went from bad to worse for Shami. In his third over, the pacer appeared to have picked up a calf injury, needing medical attention.
Although he bravely completed the over, conceding just three runs, he couldn’t carry on. With India needing a breakthrough, Hardik Pandya stepped up, replacing Shami in the attack.
Hardik Pandya Strikes as India Fights Back
Despite the dismal start, India quickly turned things around. Hardik, fired up after replacing Shami, struck gold by removing Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam for 23. If that wasn’t enough, Axar Patel joined the party, producing a direct-hit run-out to send Imam-ul-Haq packing.
IND vs PAK Live Score
At the time of writing, Pakistan are 90/2 in 23 overs, with Mohammad Rizwan (18) and Saud Shakeel (26) at the crease. The match remains finely poised but India will hope that Shami’s early struggles don’t come back to haunt them.