'From first ball till last ball, pace did not drop': Laxman lauds Shami's spell in 1st session on Day 5 of WTC final

VVS Laxman was left impressed by India pacer Mohammed Shami's spell in the first session of Day 5 of the WTC final, where he picked up two crucial wickets.

After no action on day 4 of the World Test Championship (WTC) final between Virat Kohli's India and Kane Williamson-led New Zealand, all eyes were on the Indian pace attack of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ishant Sharma. And boy, did they deliver. The trio was so good that even VVS Laxman was left impressed.

India's Mohammed Shami, back to camera, celebrates with teammates the dismissal of New Zealand's Ross Taylor during the fifth day of the World Test Championship final cricket match between New Zealand and India. (AP)

After resuming the day on 101/2, the Kiwis found themselves struggling at 135/5 at lunch on Day 5. Courtesy of disciplined lines with attacking lengths, Shami and Sharma picked up two and one wickets, respectively, to bring India right back into the game.

Shami first dismissed Ross Taylor for just 11, off 37 balls, in the 64th over of the innings. Sharma then sent Henry Nicholls packing on seven, as he edged the ball to Rohit Sharma in the slips, before Shami picked up his second scalp of the match by disturbing BJ Watling's timber. The Kiwi wicketkeeper-batsman, playing his last Test match, was dismissed for one.

Speaking to Star Sports during the lunch break show, VVS Laxman heaped rich praise on Shami, saying his intensity and consistency earned him the two crucial wickets.

"That's what you get from your experienced bowlers. All three (Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, and Mohammed Shami) are experienced bowlers and they know what to do. They learn from their mistake. What does experience give you? Experience gives you how to quickly adapt and that' exactly what Shami did.

"The other night, while he was unplayable and he looked good because the majority of times, the batsmen were getting beaten, but the wicket-taking delivery was missing. Whereas today, the fuller he bowled, he got the reward for change in that length. But also the intensity; he bowled a long spell but from the first ball till the last ball of the spell, the pace did not drop down. This means he worked on his fitness and the intensity was really great to see," explained Laxman."

The second session of the day began 40 minutes after lunch was taken. The reserve day will also come into play as Day 1, apart from Day 4, was washed out in Southampton. India scored 217 in their first innings.