Shami shines on debut in Kolkata Test

India fast-bowler claims four wickets to dismiss West Indies at 234 on day one.

India made a superb start to Sachin Tendulkar’s penultimate Test against the West Indies in Kolkata. The hosts had reached 37 for 0 by close of play on day one after an inspired burst of pace-bowling by debutant Mohammed Shami helped India dismiss the West Indies for a paltry 234 in 78 overs.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy won the toss and opted to bat first on a sluggish Eden Garden wicket, where Marlon Samuels top scored with 65 from 98 balls. However, the rest of the batting line-up was unable to capitalise on good starts and failed to make an impression. Veteran middle-order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul contributed 36 runs off 79 balls with three hits to the fence.

Shami bowled with sustained hostility and returned figures of four for 71 in 17 overs, while Ravichandran Ashwin claimed two wickets.

In reply, the India opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay saw off 12 overs before close. The two opening bowlers Tino Best and newcomer Sheldon Cottrel bowled at a lively pace yet failed to strike an early blow for the tourists.

Meanwhile Shami’s coach Badruddin Siddique was pleased with his pupil’s performance, saying that he learned reverse swing at an early age.

Siddique started coaching Shami when he was playing U16 cricket and he was happy to see that two of the right-armer’s victims were a result of prodigious reverse swing.

“Shami had the ability to get reverse swing since he was 16 years old,” Siddique told Press Trust of India. “He has practised a lot to perfect the reverse delivery that comes into the right hander. He has done that a number of times in Ranji Trophy also.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2013.

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