The India pacer was operating close to his best (16-5-42-2) with both the new and old ball, keeping the South Zone batters on tenterhooks. “As far as satisfaction goes, achieving this in my 100th match — and winning the Duleep Trophy — is special. East Zone has won the trophy after a very long time. The last time we won back-to-back titles, I was part of one of those squads,” said Shami.
Though he took only two wickets, Shami provided breakthroughs at crucial junctures, removing key batters Shaik Rasheed and R. Smaran. He set them up nicely before delivering the final blow.
“Test (long-format) cricket is entirely a game of setups. If the top-order batters are set, you cannot get them out without a plan. Wickets don’t just happen out of nowhere, especially on tracks like this. The plan was to keep taking the ball away from him (Rasheed), build that expectation, and bring one back in sharply to trap him. That’s precisely how it unfolded,” Shami explained.
At 36, the Bengal fast bowler is probably in the final phase of his career, and he hasn’t donned the National cap since March 2025 (ICC Champions Trophy). It is unclear if the selectors see a role for him looking at the future.
When asked what keeps him motivated to grind it out, he said, “There are plenty of reasons. You can draw positivity from this ground or any other ground you step on to. At this level, if you aren’t self-motivated, your approach is wrong. No matter what stage you’re playing at, your eyes must always be set on the next level.”
