The Shami vs Shardul Debate

Birmingham 2019 still exists strongly in the minds of the Indian Cricket Team. For those who don’t remember, it was in that very game where India’s lack of batting depth created issues. For that game, India went with their four best bowlers Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal. The bowlers had a rare off day conceding 337.

In return, India was in the chase for a good part, barely hanging on until they were five down. At five down, the target was getting out of reach but could have been made with a couple of good overs which were possible with MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav out there. The next 30 minutes though turned out to be one of the most frustrating periods for the Indian Team as the pair were happy to knock singles and play for net-run-rate.

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They did not have too many options with four number elevens batting from number 8 to number 11. Following the game, India separated Kul-Cha, got Ravindra Jadeja in at number eight and the batting depth improved with Jadeja proving that number eight is crucial as he almost won India a Semi-Final.

Since that World Cup though, the bowling has improved with India now having the option of fielding six bowlers capable of bowling their full quota. With Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya, they have two who can do big jobs with both bat and ball. The pair moved up a batting spot since the last World Cup leaving number eight vacant.

India though now has a challenge with that number eight spot. They have tried Shardul Thakur, who has made a career out of picking wickets out of nowhere with the most innocuous of deliveries. They also have the option of playing a third spinner which could well be Ravichandran Ashwin. The issue though is playing Shardul Thakur may prevent India from playing their four best bowlers.

In an ideal situation, India’s best four bowlers at the moment are Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Mohammad Shami, and Kuldeep Yadav with Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja as the all-rounders. Playing the same bowling attack though could lead to another Birmingham-like scenario with the tail starting at number eight.

Mohammad Shami got his chance in Mohali, which was an ODI for those who believe that number eight to eleven should have the best bowlers in the country. He took five wickets and followed it with an economical spell in the second game as well as showing incredible skill with his swing and seam movement.

Shardul on the other hand was wicket-less and the most expensive bowler, targetted by the Australians in both games. With the bat he was not required as the top seven was more than enough. That though can not be the situation all the time as we have seen. Two games though are a small sample space.

In the recent past, no other Indian bowler barring Mohammad Siraj has played as many ODIs as Shardul Thakur. The Indian camp has given him a role and he has done the job in the past. Finding a way to move a semi-new ball and picking up middle-order wickets, breaking partnerships have been his specialty, which could be very handy at the World Cup.

Skillwise though, he remains far from Shami which leads to the debate on who to play. Do India go with Shami sacrificing batting depth for an off-day or got with Shardul who could give them another bowling option while also lengthening the batting line-up.

Shardul Thakur though has come out as an imperfect solution to a concern in the recent past but has proved his worth with performances when it matters the most. Until the current ODI series, Shardul looked like a direct pick. However, with Shami’s performance and the resurgence of Ravichandran Ashwin, India has a few questions to answer and they could well lean towards playing a third spinner in Ashwin, giving them one of the best bowling options possible while also getting some nice depth with the bat.