Oval track wasn’t fully prepared for a game like WTC final: Shami

PTI, Jun 11, 2023, 8:47 AM IST

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After Shardul Thakur, senior speedster Mohammed Shami has said that the pitch being used for the World Test Championship final against Australia was not fully ready for a game of that magnitude.

The pitch continues to offer variable bounce but behaved better on day four than the first three days. ”In Test matches, pitches tend to get slower as the game goes on. But I don’t think this pitch was fully prepared for World Test Championship final. It was not fully ready but day by day it does change in a Test match,” said Shami after stumps on day four.

India were 164 for three chasing a record 444 with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane in the middle. Shami thinks his team has a good chance of creating history on Sunday.

”Test matches should be decided on day five and in the last session. That is what called a proper Test. In the last four years, we have played well against Australia. Both have fought hard. We will have to bat well tomorrow.” India won a back to back series in Australia in 2021 after staging remarkable comebacks in Sydney and Brisbane. Asked if India will take confidence from those memorable games, he said:”We believe we can win the match. We have performed well overseas not just in England. We will come together to win this. 280 runs if you bat well it is gettable.” Rahane did not take the field in second innings after being hit while batting on Friday. But Shami said he is fully fit to bat.

”He is batting well. In sports, you get hurt but you keep playing.” Shami too is prepared to make a lower-order contribution if the need arises.