‘Isiliye isko khilana chahiye’ – Fans react as Mohammed Shami picks wicket on his first ball against New Zealand in ODI World Cup 2023

India and New Zealand are engaged in a high-stakes showdown in the 2023 World Cup at Dharamsala’s Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Sunday, October 22. After winning the toss, Indian captain Rohit Sharma chose to field first. With all-rounder Hardik Pandya termed unfit for the match, two alterations were made to India’s playing XI. Stepping in were batsman Suryakumar Yadav and fast bowler Mohammed Shami.

Suryakumar Yadav and Mohammed Shami had remained on the sidelines for India’s initial three matches in the World Cup. Shami impressively commenced his campaign by taking a wicket with his very first delivery in the tournament. Coming in as the first change bowler, Shami bowled New Zealand opener Will Young, removing him from the crease.

Shami delivered a short-of-length ball just outside the off-stump. The ball moved back in sharply. Will Young, in an attempt to play it squarely on the offside, shuffled across. Moreover, the ball caught the inside edge of his bat and went on to strike the stumps. New Zealand’s innings began at a sluggish pace, accumulating 34 runs for the loss of two wickets during the Powerplay.

Shardul Thakur was dropped after Hardik Pandya missed the match

In the past three games, Shardul Thakur had been preferred over Shami in India’s playing XI. However, in India’s initial match against Australia, the experienced off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was selected over both Shami and Thakur. But it was due to the spinning conditions at the Chennai stadium. It’s worth mentioning that in the three games he played, Thakur managed to secure two wickets, conceding 102 runs with an economy rate of 6.00.

The two-time World champions and New Zealand are both vying for the coveted top spot, with each team having triumphed in all four of their matches in the tournament. New Zealand has had the upper hand in ODI World Cup encounters, winning five out of eight games against the two-time champions. Additionally, the BlackCaps shattered India’s hopes of securing their third World Cup title by eliminating them in the semi-finals of the 2019 edition.

Let us see how Twitter has reacted to this wicket from Shami;