Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, the formidable duo of the Indian cricket team’s pace attack, have reached a level of excellence where even the team’s bowling coach, Paras Mhambrey, finds no need to discuss technical aspects with them. Their conversations revolve primarily around strategic moves on the field, a testament to their prowess. Shami and Bumrah played pivotal roles in India’s recent 100-run victory against England.
Both bowlers, Shami and Bumrah, displayed exceptional skills and adapted brilliantly to the pitch conditions under floodlights. According to Mhambrey, their current form is so exceptional that technical discussions are almost redundant. He mentioned, “When you have players with that much skill in the team, you don’t really need to talk about it. These players have played so much cricket that they completely understand what the team needs from them.”
Mhambrey further explained, “I wish I could say that we had discussed and planned this within the team. We have such great bowlers in our team, and they are so experienced that it makes my job easier.”
After India’s win, he emphasized the importance of player management at this level. With their vast experience, Shami and Bumrah require minimal technical guidance; the focus is on implementing the right strategies, and they excel at that.
Discussing Bumrah and Shami’s brilliant opening spell in the match against England, Mhambrey noted that at that crucial juncture, the team needed wickets, and these two bowlers delivered, dismissing four English batsmen for just 39 runs in pursuit of a 230-run target.
Mhambrey also believed that India could have scored an additional 30-40 runs. He observed that the pitch had flattened out during the powerplay, and it was the remarkable bowling performances of Shami and Bumrah that set the foundation for India’s victory.
In this tournament, India batted first for the first time, and apart from Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, most of the batsmen fell while trying to increase the run rate. Mhambrey sees room for improvement in the team’s batting approach before the remaining three league matches.
The all-rounder Hardik Pandya missed the last two matches due to an ankle injury sustained against Bangladesh. He is in the process of recovery and is expected to be available for selection before the semi-finals. However, Mhambrey did not provide specific details on his return, stating, “The medical team is providing care and is in full touch with Hardik and the NCA. We hope to have an update in two days.”