'Saath dena hoga': Mohammed Shami calls out Prasidh, Siraj after Headingley loss, urges pacers to lift burden on Jasprit Bumrah

India's fast bowler Mohammed Shami expressed his dissatisfaction with the team's bowling performance in the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds. England secured a victory over India by five wickets, successfully chasing down their second highest Test target of 371 on the final day, thereby taking a 1-0 lead in the series. The Indian bowlers conceded runs at a rate exceeding 4.5 runs per over throughout the innings, with only Jasprit Bumrah appearing to be effective.

In evaluating India's performance in the series opener, Shami has indicated that the other bowlers should take cues from Bumrah and provide him with sufficient support during matches. Bumrah achieved a five-wicket haul in the first innings but did not take any wickets in the second innings, as England opted to play it safe against him.

"In bowling, other Indian bowlers should talk to Bumrah and learn from him. They should talk about planning with him and support him. If they will support Bumrah, then we can easily win the match. If I talk about the first match, then I think we need to do a little work in the bowling," Shami said on his YouTube channel.

Additionally, he pointed out that the wickets of Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna had no effect on the match since England was already in control. Shami emphasized the significance of taking wickets with the new ball.

"Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna picked up two wickets each in the 2nd innings, but by the time Shardul dismissed two England batters, the match was out of India’s reach. It is very important to take wickets with the new ball. They must support Bumrah. England won the first Test because we gave too many easy runs. We need to find out how to make our bowling side strong,” he added.

Shami is not included in India’s squad for the current series as chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced that he is not fit to participate in a five-match Test series. In light of his absence, the selectors have given a first Test call-up to Arshdeep Singh, who has experience playing county cricket for Kent. It is uncertain whether the left-arm seamer will have the opportunity to play in the starting XI, especially with doubts surrounding Bumrah’s involvement in the second Test.

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