Mohammed Shami made a sensational comeback into the Indian ODI team as he picked up a five-wicket haul against New Zealand on Sunday to etche his name in World Cup history.
Shami's third five-for in the format was also his second in ODI World Cups, making him the only Indian to achieve this feat in the tournament's history. He took five wickets for the first time in a World Cup during the 2019 edition against England in Manchester.
Shami also became the second bowler after Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi to take five wickets in an innings in this World Cup.
Shami, who had been warming the benches for the first four games due to Shardul Thakur's inclusion in the playing XI, also went past Anil Kumble to grab second position on the list of most wickets for India in ODI World Cups.
The 33-year-old now has 36 wickets from 12 matches which includes two five-fors. Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath lead the list with 44 wickets each.
His performance with the white ball helped India bowl out New Zealand for 273 in 50 overs after they won the toss and elected to bowl first at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala.
Fans on social media were abuzz with praises for Shami, who recently had a hair transplant before the Asia Cup 2023.
NZ Innings Summary
Sent into bat, Mitchell (130 off 127 balls) and Rachin Ravindra (75 off 87 balls) rescued New Zealand after a poor start, sharing 159 runs off 152 balls for the third wicket.
Shami (5/54) was the star with the ball for India while the other pacers, Jasprit Bumrah (1/45) and Mohammed Siraj (1/45), also played their part well.
India had a rare ordinary day in the field and were guilty of dropping three catches. Kuldeep Yadav (2/73) was the most expensive bowler but got the important wickets of Tom Lathan and Glenn Phillips.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 273 All Out (50 Overs) In Dharamsala. Daryl Mitchell (130), Rachin Ravindra (75), Shami (5/54).
