Mohammed Shami dismantled New Zealand's chase with a wonderful seven-wicket haul, and the Indian pacer on Wednesday said he was trying to take the pace off the ball to force the batters into their shots. (As It Happened | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
Shami's 7 for 57 was the best figures by an I🐽ndian bowler in the marquee event, and the 33-year-old also completꦚed 50 wickets in the tournament from just 17 games.
"We talk a lot about variations, but I still be꧙lieve in pitching it up and getting wickets with the new ball. But the focus was to try and take the pace off, see if they're hitting it in the air. It was a chance we had to take," said Shami, who bagged the player of the match award, in the post-match presentat🐻ion.
However, Shami admitted that the Indians were a bit worried about the d🌺ew factor in the evening.
"The wicket was very good, lots of runs w🍒ere scored in the afternoon. There was some fear of dew, the grass had been shaved off from the wicket.✨
"If dew was there, it skids on and there's a chance💃 runs could've been made," he add♔ed.
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Shami found a place in the pl💞aying 11 🅺after an injury to Hardik Pandya, and the pacer said he was waiting for his chance to make an entry into the side.
"I was waiting for my chances. I didn't play a lot of white-b☂all cricket. My return started against New Zealand (in Dharamsala)," he said.
Shami added that he felt terrible dropping New Zealand captain🅠 Kane Williamson, and was relieved that his lapse did not hurt India.
However, all's well 𒁃that ends well and Shami said it felt amazing to enter the World Cuꦺp final.
"It feels amaz🦄ing. During the last two World Cups, we lost in the semifinals. Who knows when or if we'll get a chance (to play another WC), so we wanted to do everything for this.
"This one chance we didn'꧅t want to let go. Everything🐼 for this," he concluded.
