• Source:JND
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In the first ODI against Australia, Mohammed Shami's performance was nothing short of remarkable. After delivering his final ball in the fourth over, Shami signaled to stand-in captain KL Rahul and made a gesture toward the dressing room, indicating his exhaustion. The unusual and oppressive humidity in Mohali had taken its toll on the fast bowlers, making it extremely challenging to maintain long spells.

However, before walking off the field, Shami had already made a significant impact by providing India with the early breakthrough, dismissing Mitchell Marsh in the very first over. As it turned out, Australia was yet to discover that Shami was only just getting started, setting the stage for a captivating contest.

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"The heat does play a factor. We are human beings after all. It can take a toll on your body but after playing international cricket for such a long, I am habituated to handling such conditions. When the wickets are unresponsive, you have to put in that extra effort with the ball so you will naturally see fast bowlers bowling shorter spells because of that," he said in the post-match press conference.

Shami, the seasoned right-arm seamer, also shared a unique perspective on the concept of "rest." For him, rest takes on a distinct meaning as he often finds himself practicing more rigorously at his home in Uttar Pradesh's Amroha than with the Indian team.

"That break after the WTC final was necessary as I had been playing non-stop cricket for 6-7 months. I felt that my body needed some rest. I had a discussion with the coach and captain and then we decided that I should take a break. But my rest doesn't feel like rest because I end up practising more at home. The kind of set-up I have at my home, I practice more compared to when I am with the Indian team," he said.

Shami also felt that rotating the players is important as there is no need of playing back-to-back matches before the marquee World Cup 2023.

"The coach plays a crucial role in rotating the players according to the conditions. It also depends on the opposition. I don't think we need to play back-to-back matches before the World Cup and as you can see we are also getting the results, so there is no need to change the plans," Shami said.