In a historic moment at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Mohammed Shami etched his name in World Cup annals for India on Thursday. The veteran fast bowler joined the esteemed ranks of Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan as the leading wicket-taker for the two-time champions. Shami, along with fellow pacemen Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, unleashed a devastating assault on the Sri Lankan batting lineup during their World Cup 2023 clash
Shami delivered a spell of unplayable fast bowling, claiming four wickets in his opening three overs. He entered the fray in the 10th over of Sri Lanka's chase, and by that time, the match seemed well out of reach for the Sri Lankan side, who had faltered to 3 for 4 before slightly recovering to 14 for 4. Shami concluded his initial spell with a five-wicket haul, marking his third such achievement in World Cup history. With this feat, he drew level with Mitchell Starc as the top bowlers with the most five-wicket hauls in World Cup competitions.
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Shami's World Cup wicket tally now stands at 45 wickets, achieved in just his 14th match in this 50-over showcase event. In comparison, Zaheer Khan required 23 matches to reach 44 wickets in World Cups, while Srinath took 34 matches to accumulate 44 wickets. Despite having played only three matches in World Cup 2023 for India, Shami has already claimed an impressive total of 14 wickets. His fiery performance began in the very first over, where he dismissed Charith Asalanka and Dushan Hemantha, narrowly missing a hat-trick opportunity. The Sri Lankan side appeared bewildered as India's bowlers maintained their relentless pressure.
In his second over, Shami secured the wicket of Dushmantha Chameera for a duck, thanks to a brilliant DRS (Decision Review Systern) call by KL Rahul. The fast bowler's brilliance continued as he eliminated Angelo Mathews in the first delivery of his third over, extinguishing the Sri Lankan veteran's resistance.
Shami clinched his fifth wicket in the fifth over, dismissing Kasun Rajitha, who had valiantly contributed 14 runs. India's pacers showcased a sensational performance at the historic venue of the 2011 World Cup final. Jasprit Bumrah initiated the onslaught with a wicket on his very first delivery, becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat in a World Cup match Mohammed Siraj made a significant impact as well, taking three wickets in his first spell, building on his outstanding performance against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final earlier in the year.
