SA vs IND 1st Test: Indian team made a mistake by ignoring Mohammed Shami, says Dinesh Karthik

The injured Mohammed Shami is surely being missed by the Indian team for the current Boxing Day Test against South Africa at the SuperSport Park in Centurion, according to Dinesh Karthik.

With 33 wickets in the 2023 ODI World Cup, the bowler was the leading wicket-taker. For the next two white-ball matches against Australia and South Africa, he had a rest. With two Test matches against the Proteas, Shami was anticipated to be a major player, but an ankle ailment kept him out of the game.

Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test saw India reach 245 thanks to a masterful century from KL Rahul, but the home team closed the day with 256/5.

“The man [Mohammed Shami] has grown in stature as a bowler and as a leader of the pack. He is an able lieutenant to Jasprit Bumrah. You can imagine with the upright seam on this kind of pitch. I promise you, he would have definitely gotten a few wickets. The Indian team really misses him,” stated Kartik.

For India, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj each claimed two wickets. On his Test debut, Prasidh Krishna took one wicket and gave up 61 runs in 15 overs. Shardul Thakur, an all-rounder who bowls seam, let up 57 runs in 12 overs without taking a wicket. On Day 2, Karthik believed that Prasidh and Shardul had not given Bumrah and Siraj enough assistance.

“Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna going for close to 118 runs in their 27 overs. On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj going for just 111 in their 31 overs. Siraj was a tad bit expensive, especially in the last spell, they also bowled some brilliant balls. You could see every time they were on, you got the feeling that they could get you a wicket or two. Whereas with Shardul or Prasidh, you had to wait for a batter to make a mistake,” Karthik added.

Dean Elgar was the man of the second day, finishing on 140 not out of 211 deliveries. In his innings, he blasted 23 fours, and in the opening session of Day 3, he would be crucial for the home team. South Africa’s advantage, now at 11, might increase significantly if the southpaw continues at the bat, therefore Rohit Sharma and company would want to see him go early in the day.

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