2nd Test: Mohammad Shami baffled by 'slow and low' pitch at Centurion

Mohammad Shami

"Pata nahin, kya sochke yeh wicket diya hai." This was Mohammad Shami's honest response when asked about the 22 yards he was expected to do his job on. Shami, who bowled multiple incisive spells on the fourth day to pick up four for 49, was forced to work hard for
his spoils.

"We didn't expect that the ball would stay so low on this wicket. Till now, in overseas conditions, we haven't seen such slow and low keeping wickets," said Shami. "So, I don't know what they were thinking when they made this wicket. But okay, whatever it is we have to play on it and the conditions are same for both teams. Tomorrow we will try to win." Shami bristled when it was put to him that he has not always been in the best of rhythm on this tour. "I don't know what you guys are watching. You want I should always come as a storm or make me fly in a storm, I don't understand this. But you have to bowl according to the wickets and how much bounce, carry, etc. you have to see these things because it is a five-day match not a two-hour match," said Shami. "You have to save energy, you have to see for the team, you have to see all these things, when do you put effort, that is more important."

Shami was also not too keen to go into India's slip catching, which has been patchy and best and downright diabolical at times. "You are counting a bit too much, but it is not like this. When you make a unit and get 15 guys to play for the country, you should have self belief. It is part of the game that you will drop some catches but we are not robots or machines that we will catch all of them. We can only try and then the rest is dependent on luck."

Shami revealed that the team's plan was to dry up runs on the fourth day. "Today, we were looking to give away as few runs as possible and wanted to attack them fully. We went on an all out attack and planned to give away as few runs as possible," Shami said.

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