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Peter Fulton feels Mohammed Shami could be the biggest thorn for New Zealand when they take on India in the World Test Championship final. The Canterbury head coach feels Mohammed Shami’s nagging length could trouble the Black Caps batsmen the most.
Mohammed Shami will start the showpiece event along with Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma. In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Peter Fulton previewed the much-anticipated clash, identifying Mohammed Shami as the biggest threat in India’s menacing pace battery.
“When India came to New Zealand last time, Shami was the pick of the bowlers. Provided he’s fit and healthy, he’ll be one of the more dangerous bowlers because he bowls slightly fuller. If there’s swing on offer, he’ll be well placed to take advantage of that. Some of the Indian bowlers bowled slightly shorter last time, so even though they beat the bat, they didn't find the edge, so for me, Shami could be a real threat. But saying that they have a few bowlers who will be in the mix for sure,” Peter Fulton said.
Many experts have opined that the India-New Zealand clash could be a battle of the bowlers. While New Zealand have one of the best pace bowling attacks, India’s bowling line-up is regarded as the most balanced in the game.
Peter Fulton refrained from choosing the best bowling attack out of the two sides. But he observed that India have better options when the conditions aren’t favourable for bowlers.
“There are some really high-quality bowlers in both teams. You would have to think that Boult, Southee and Jamieson would be a handful if the ball swings because all three of them are good exponents of the swinging ball. If the ball swings, NZ will be very well placed but if the wicket is flat, and the ball doesn’t swing, India have a little bit more all-round variation and more attacking spin options if the pitch flattens out,” Peter Fulton explained.
Peter Fulton on how Rishabh Pant could be dismissed
Rishabh Pant is one of the main protagonists in India's charge to the World Test Championship Final. His stellar form over the past few months against Australia and England has been a breath of fresh air, with his belligerent batting style striking fear in opposition bowling attacks.
How New Zealand tackle Rishabh Pant and get him out early could be one of the main storylines in Southampton. Peter Fulton spoke about how the young wicketkeeper could be dismissed cheaply:
“I think we saw in New Zealand last year, Boult can swing the ball away from him, he’s had more success than the right-arm bowlers who bowled it into him to cramp him up. Left-armers Boult and Wagner will be important to get him out early," said Peter Fulton.
New Zealand are the only team to have beaten India in a series in the current cycle of the World Test Championship. The Black Caps beat India in both Tests when they toured the country in 2020, beating them by ten and seven wickets respectively in the two-Test series.
With the two squads for the World Test Championship Final more or less similar and conditions expected to assist swing bowling, many wonder whether New Zealand would start as the favourites. However, Peter Fulton feels India’s series loss in New Zealand was a 'mental' thing, explaining how the team that copes with swing better will win the WTC Final.
“I’m not convinced it’s too much of a technical thing than a mental aspect. When India came to New Zealand, I sort of felt like they were beaten before the game was played by looking at the wicket and seeing how green the pitch was. Undoubtedly, the ball did move around probably not as much as the score indicated. They’ve to get their heads around it, without knowing how the pitch will be, everyone at ICC will want to ensure that it goes all the way down to five days for TV. It will come down to swing and the pitch, and which team can wrap their heads around it the quickest,” Peter Fulton concluded.
The inaugural WTC Final between India and New Zealand in Southampton will kick off at 3:00 PM IST on Friday.
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