![Mohammed Shami bowled a spell for the ages [Source: AFP Photos]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1756880155215_mohammed_shami_vs_nz.jpg?type=mq)
Mohammed Shami bowled a spell for the ages [Source: AFP Photos]
Mohammed Shami is celebrating his 35th birthday today and there couldn’t be a better time to look back at one of the finest spells ever bowled by an Indian pacer. The right-arm quick has been the sharp edge of India’s fast-bowling sword for more than a decade and his 7/57 against New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup semifinal remains one of the finest performances by an Indian speedster in ODIs.
On a night when batters hogged the limelight with three centuries, it was Mohammed Shami who stole the show with the ball. India and New Zealand locked horns in a blockbuster semifinal at the Wankhede.
The Men in Blue posted a mammoth 397, thanks to centuries from Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer. Chasing 398 was always going to be a mountain to climb but the Kiwis had their moments. Shami, though, made sure India never lost grip.
Shami Wreaks Havoc
With the new ball in hand, Shami came charging in and dismissed Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra in the powerplay. Just when Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell looked like turning the tide with a 181-run stand, Shami returned to break the backbone.
He removed Williamson for 69 and then sent Tom Latham back for a duck in the very same over. Soon after, he trapped Mitchell on 134 to complete his five-for. It was ruthless, clinical and pure fast-bowling theatre.
From 220/2, New Zealand collapsed to 327 all out. Shami wrapped things up by dismissing Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson, finishing with figures of 7/57, the best-ever by an Indian in ODI cricket. Stuart Binny’s 6/4 against Bangladesh had stood as the record since 2014, but Shami blew it away under the lights of Mumbai.
Records Tumbled With Shami
That spell rewrote the record books. Shami became the first Indian to claim seven wickets in an ODI innings. He also registered his fourth five-wicket haul in the ODI World Cup, going past Mitchell Starc’s tally of three.
On top of that, he became the first bowler to take three fifers in a single edition of the tournament: 5/54 against New Zealand in Dharamsala, 5/18 against Sri Lanka in Mumbai and then the unforgettable 7/57 at Wankhede.
A World Cup To Remember
Shami might have missed the early games of the 2023 World Cup, but once he found rhythm, he was unstoppable. He finished as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 24 scalps in just seven innings.
His average was a stunning 10.70 and his economy just 5.26. Three fifers and a four-fer, Shami was bowling like a man possessed. Even though India fell short in the final against Australia, his performance was lauded by fans and experts alike.
At 35, Shami is still roaring like a lion. Injuries may have tested him but his hunger hasn’t dimmed. His 7/57 remains etched in memory as a spell for the ages, one that summed up everything he stands for: heart, courage and pure fast-bowling fire!
