Mohammed Shami - 5 reasons why he will succeed in South Africa Tests

For the upcoming Tests against South Africa, it has become a matter of concern as to which Indian bowler will be able to perform.

Obviously, the first and foremost answer would be veteran Zaheer Khan, who has got the experience of playing on bouncy tracks. However, he will need someone to support him from the other end.

Many of the fans expect Mohammed Shami to be that man. Though he is comparatively new, he has been deploying all of his efforts every time he comes to bowl. This has made him a strong contender to become a lead bowler for Team India in the future.

Here are the five reasons why he will be able to perform well in South Africa:

Consistency

He is consistent; being a hard working cricketer who has the zeal to deliver, he will surely make a mark. His track record also shows that he has been performing consistently.

He has played two Tests so far and in the 4 innings, he has taken 11 wickets. This is pretty good for a beginner. Also, he has got an excellent bowling average of 16.54 in Test matches. Even in the 20 ODIs he has played, he has already taken 30 wickets. So his consistency will help him.

Swing

He swings the ball both ways; he has got a very good bowling action. Since the day I have been following him, I have heard legends like Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar heaping praise on Shami, especially for his near-perfect bowling action. This will help him in taking wickets regularly.

Great control

His focus is always on perfect line and length: Shami has total control over bouncers and yorkers. He knows what length to bowl during the various stages of an innings. When a pacer is consistently able to maintain his line and length, it becomes difficult for the batsmen to play big shots without taking risks.

Speed

He has got a speed of 135-140 km per hour: he has been able to bowl fast as he has wonderful energy levels and good body strength. He is able to undertake long bowling spells without compromising on the quality of the bowling.

Helpful conditions

The pitches will help him; certainly, this is what most of his fans are relying on. The simple reason is that during the recent matches played in India, Shami managed to take wickets even on spin-friendly pitches. So we see no reason as to why he will not get the necessary response from the bouncy pitches of South Africa.

Additionally he is known to be a very committed and devoted player who is always eager to perform. He also has a chance to learn from the rich experience of Zaheer Khan.

Shami might be able to solve the bowling woes that Team India has been facing since ages. Even if, despite all the high hopes, he is not able to deliver as per the expectations, the learning experience will be invaluable.