Former India head coach Ravi Shastri led the cricket fraternity to congratulate Mohammad Shami for picking 200 Test wickets. Shami, on Tuesday, claimed a five-wicket haul against South Africa in the first Test of three-match series to achieve the feat. He became the third-fastest Indian pacer to complete 200 wickets in Test cricket – 56 Tests. Only Kapil Dev (50) and Javagal Srinath (54) breached the 200-wicket mark faster than Shami in Test cricket for India.
Shastri took to Twitter and wrote: “Shabash Sultan of Bengal @MdShami11. Dekh ke maza aah gaya. Biryani. Doh din ke baad. Mehnat ka Phal. God bless. #SAvIND #Shami #Shami200,” he wrote.
Shastri coached Shami in the past few years and has always talked highly of the fast bowler. It was Shami’s sixth five-wicket haul in Test cricket and his second on South African soil.
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Veteran India batter VVS Laxman also heaped praises on Shami for his fierce bowling against South Africa on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test.
“After a fabulous innings from Rahul on Day 1,an outstanding display of seam bowling from Shami. 5 wkts and a great way to get to 200 Test Wickets. With his fine spell,India take a commanding 130 run lead. Wishing for the batsman to capitalise & set a big target for South Africa,” Laxman wrote on Twitter.
After a fabulous innings from Rahul on Day 1,an outstanding display of seam bowling from Shami. 5 wkts and a great way to get to 200 Test Wickets.With his fine spell,India take a commanding 130 run lead. Wishing for the batsman to capitalise & set a big target for South Africa pic.twitter.com/UheFlIZXo9— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) December 28, 2021
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer shared a collage of Shami delivering the ball and empasized on his seam position.
“No matter where you freeze the frame, that seam position will be upright. Congratulations on 200 Test wickets to one of the best in the business
@MdShami11 #SAvsIND,” Jaffer tweeted.
India bowled out South Africa for 197 in their first innings, taking 130 runs lead on the third day of the first Test of the three-match series, at SuperSport Park, here on Tuesday.
South Africa, who were struggling at 109/5 in their first innings at tea, added 88 more runs in the third session and lost the rest of the five wickets.
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