"No real plan, I just bowled to my strengths. I don't look at the batsman in front of me, I just work on my strengths - line and length and swing. I work on that more. The important thing for me is that I don't look at the opposition or the batsman, I just follow my line and length," Shami had said after his four-wicket burst on the first day of the just-concluded Test at the Eden.
Coming from a pastoral background in Uttar Pradesh, Shami does not know how to market his success. Any other cricketer, with experience on how to dabble with media, would have harped on how prepared he was for the opposition and occasion.
Unluckily for Shami, the opposition here was so weak that he cannot celebrate a feat achieved by a few in Indian cricket. Even Zaheer Khan cannot boast of figures the Uttar Pradesh lad has achieved in his very first Test. Among Indian pacers, only Kapil Dev and Javagal Srinath have better figures than 9-118 in a Test match. In that context, Shami provides a ray of hope for India's pace bowling department.
Movement is his strength. He can swing both with the new and the old ball. His display of reverse swing on Friday against the West Indies would have made even a Waqar Yunis proud. He was incisive, accurate and lethal.
Swing is not the only plus point. He bowls at a reasonably good pace - not too many bowlers in India touch 142 kmph on the speed gun - and surprises the batsmen with an occasional bouncer. He even has an effective yorker in his armoury, something Ishant Sharma (after 51 Tests and 68 ODIs) is yet to master.
His action is uncluttered and the run-up is smooth. He runs in hard and delivers with a side-arm action. The challenge for him is to stay off the injuries.
The challenge is also stay effective in the foreign conditions. But given his action and style, there is a good chance that he would relish the conditions in South Africa and New Zealand, places India will visit in the next three months. His success in the first Test has really excited teammate R Ashwin, who hopes the Bengal pacer would enjoy the conditions overseas.
"I think we are forming a potent attack, ahead of the South Africa tour. More than talent and ability, I think having taken wickets is important when going into any series. He (Shami) has got a lovely five-wicket haul here (at the Eden). I hope he carries on and forms a potent attack with some of our senior bowlers," India's lead spinner said.
His coach Badruddin Siddiqui is confident Shami will do better abroad. "There is no doubt. The pitches in South Africa are bouncy and Shami will enjoy that. I cannot say if he can extract reverse swing in Johannesburg and Durban because a lot of factor come into picture for that but he will relish the bouncy overseas pitches. He is also a quick learner and he will adjust fast," says Siddiqui.
Siddiqui says Shami can also improve his pace. "It is only the beginning and he can add a few yards to his pace. With training and practice, he will be a deadly bowler soon," says the coach. The Indian team has not had a great fast bowling hope for years and Shami looks to be the answer to the team's search.
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