The match on Saturday between India and Afghanistan bucked the script. For India, it meant making most of a won toss and piling up the runs. That never happened as it finished its innings at a paltry 224―its lowest total thus far in the ongoing World Cup. After that came the shock of resistance from Afghanistan which stayed in the hunt till the 47th over. Even the last over bowled by Mohammed Shami started with a boundary and there were nerves around. But then within the space of three balls Afghanistan’s brave fight ended in heartbreak. As if the nail-biting finish wasn’t enough, Shami’s hat-trick to seal the deal had the nervy Indian fans on their feet, delirious. It took 32 years for an Indian to take a hat-trick in the World Cup again. Chetan Sharma had become the first Indian to ahcieve the feat in the 1987 World Cup (vs New Zealand).
Shami termed the hat-trick as a “dream come true” after the match. “See, as far as chance (to play in the team in the World Cup) is concerned, it is all about luck. I was waiting for my chance, perform in a match, show my skill. I am really thankful to Allah that I was able to get a hat-trick. It is very rare that you get one in a World Cup, so [I’m] very happy,” he said in a post-match media interaction.
When asked how he executed his three wicket-taking deliveries, he said that there was hardly any time to think. All he wanted to do was keep things simple. “There is no time to think. You have to defend 16 runs in 6 balls… So, all you have to do is execute your plans. [You] have to back yourself and your skills. You have few options because if you go with variations there are more chances of being hit for runs. So, all I wanted to do was execute my plan. Mahi bhai too said not to do anything different.”
This is perhaps the best comeback possible for the bowler who is playing his second innings. Leaner, meaner and fitter, Shami has come in as the third pacer with Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar doing the honours in the first four matches at the World Cup. During 2015-2017, Shami was out of the Indian team due to injuries and personal life issues. Notably, he was India’s highest wicket-taker, scalping 17 wickets in the 2015 edition of the World Cup.
Team India’s strength and conditioning coach Shankar Basu had heaped praise on Shami earlier saying the most notable turnaround in fitness amongst the Indian players was that of Shami. “Him failing the fitness test was a blessing in disguise. After that, he was a changed man. He was so determined and I think he is also blessed with some amazing genes. We all talk about intermittent fasting, and Mohammed Shami does intermittent fasting inadvertently, he doesn’t even know what it is, but he does it on his own. I think his distribution of fat, we have done his fat testing over three years and it is the same, he is a piece of work.”
Shami revealed that his teammates laugh at his attempt to diet. “It’s a long journey of maybe two years. I was a bit heavy after injuries and knee surgery, I could feel that after one spell. There was only one thing I had in my mind that if I want to play longer, then I need to work extra. So, yes, I cut down on my food although everyone laughs when I follow my diet plan. I don’t diet very strictly, but whatever doctors say I shouldn’t eat, I don’t have those generally. That is beneficial for me. I don’t have breads, sweet. And when there is a match it doesn’t matter, you need to eat carbs,” said Shami with a laugh.
Basu, however, was very serious when he described Shami’s efforts to improve. “The best part is he has changed his entire training regimen, I think training is now part of his lifestyle which never used to be the case before. Everything has changed over the last three, four years and he wasn’t the last person to get on to the bus, but after that little bit of personal setbacks and failing that fitness test, he is a changed man. This is 2.0 version of Mohammed Shami.”