Running rings around the world-class top order of the Aussies on Thursday, speedster Mohammed Shami announced himself in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 by rattling veteran opener David Warner during the first session of the Nagpur Test match between Australia and hosts India. After pacer Mohammed Siraj provided India with an early breakthrough by removing Usman Khawaja, senior pacer Shami joined the party and got the better of opener Warner in the third over of the Australian innings.
Warner, who saw Khawaja taking the long way back to the pavilion, soon joined his opener partner at the dugout. Warner's off stump went flying on a cartwheel as Shami dismissed the dangerman by bowling a peach of a delivery in the third over. Bowling a length delivery that nipped back in, speed merchant Shami bamboozled Warner to earn plaudits from the iconic commentary duo of former Indian cricketers Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar.
"Bowled him! Through his defense! The off stump goes for a walk and Australia 2 down," thundered Shastri, who was on commentary duty with legendary batter Gavaskar. “What a beauty of delivery this has been from Mohammed Shami. It just looked as if he was warming up in the 1st over. In the 2nd over, having seen Mohammed Siraj taking a wicket from the other end has certainly worked. Steamed in this time, bowled it on the length, and hit the top of the off stump. Gone flying! This is magnificent from Mohammed Shami. Nothing that David Warner could have done because the ball came back just that little bit,” added Gavaskar, who was thoroughly impressed with the fast-bowling exploits of the senior pacer.
{{/usCountry}}"Bowled him! Through his defense! The off stump goes for a walk and Australia 2 down," thundered Shastri, who was on commentary duty with legendary batter Gavaskar. “What a beauty of delivery this has been from Mohammed Shami. It just looked as if he was warming up in the 1st over. In the 2nd over, having seen Mohammed Siraj taking a wicket from the other end has certainly worked. Steamed in this time, bowled it on the length, and hit the top of the off stump. Gone flying! This is magnificent from Mohammed Shami. Nothing that David Warner could have done because the ball came back just that little bit,” added Gavaskar, who was thoroughly impressed with the fast-bowling exploits of the senior pacer.
{{/usCountry}}Talking more about the match, Pat Cummins and Co. were forced to rely more heavily on premier batters Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne after Rohit's Team India removed Aussie openers Khawaja and Warner in the first session of the 1st Test at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. Labuschagne and Smith stitched a 25-plus run stand off 49 balls after Australia suffered a twin setback on Day 1 of the 1st Test match at Nagpur.
Earlier, hosts India handed Test debuts to Srikar Bharat and Suryakumar Yadav in the series opener of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. While Suryakumar replaced injured Shreyas Iyer, Bharat was roped in as a like-for-like replacement of Rishabh Pant, who is recovering from the injuries he sustained in the tragic car crash last year.