Follow UsNot being desperate about getting wickets and bowling in the right areas is the simple formula for success in ODI cricket, according to Mohammad Shami.
Shami, who hasn't played an ODI since November 2020, came back to the fold in the first ODI against England at The Oval and claimed 3-31. His wickets included first-ball duck of Ben Stokes and the wicket of Jos Buttler which laid the foundation for India's first 10-wicket win on English soil.
"If your areas are good on a surface where it seams and swings, it's difficult to get away. We kept it simple and got rewarded with wickets. The more you run behind wickets, the more it doesn't happen. I kept it simple, and the results are there to see," Shami said in a chat with bowling coach Paras Mhambrey for BCCI.tv.
Bumrah (6-19) set the tone for the match by removing opener Jason Roy and Joe Root in the first over which helped Shami to pile on the pressure.
"We've been playing together for so long that in two overs you understand what's happening and what you have to do. When I bowled the first over, you could see the ball was seaming around; there was swing on offer. Bumrah also then tried to incorporate the same length and got wickets also," Shami said about his partnership with Bumrah.
"I was away for three years (18 months) - it was a long break - but once you get comfortable in this environment, you know your responsibilities. It's important to have a clear mind. What to do, what lengths to bowl, how to use your variations everyone knows, but you need to be clear about it from within," he added.
Bumrah also became the fastest Indian pacer to reach 150 ODI wickets in 80 matches in the process.
"Personally, my plan is to just keep it simple. That is my mantra. You only have to think if the wickets are different. Otherwise, if you repeat the same things over and over again, chances of success is that much more. Only if the wickets are slow and dry, there's scope for you to change plans, else just carry on doing the same things," he said.
India will take on England in the second ODI on Thursday at Lord's.