Shami And His Small Band Have A Ball

It wasn't the Ben Stokes we've known. Although it was the Mohammed Shami we know.

- Rutvick Mehta

Steaming in for his second over, the eighth of England's chase of 230 in Lucknow, Shami got the ball to stoke up venom on Stokes. First ball: on a good length seaming away, beaten. Second ball: on that length again, Stokes makes room, swings his bat, mistimes it. Third ball: the length pulled back a touch, Stokes's bat finally gets it in the middle. Fourth ball: finds the length again, angling it in and nibbling it away from around the wicket only for Stokes to be beaten. Fifth ball: fuller and on the stumps, a flick follows. Sixth ball: Shami keeps it on that good length and asks another question; Stokes answers by making room and going for a wild slog; the ball, skidding and spitting fire, burns into the stumps.

In an ODI World Cup of fastest hundreds, a Maxi-sized miraculous double century and three 400-plus totals, this one over showed the beauty of a bowler in full flow. In a World Cup in India where runs came in fast supply and batters often ran amok, a few bowlers stood up and made us take notice. In a World Cup on Indian pitches where spinners tend to feel at home, four of the five in the top wicket-takers' chart are fast bowlers-Shami, Dilshan Madushanka, Gerald Coetzee and Jasprit Bumrah.