'The fast bowling group together believes they can knock any side over. And the belief in his (Shami) own ability and his fitness - this is the fittest I've seen him in his career'
Skipper Virat Kohli was, on Wednesday, lavish in his praise for pacer Mohammed Shami, the fastest Indian to 100 ODI wickets, saying the injury-prone bowler is at his best in terms of fitness right now.
Shami, who delivered a man of the match-winning haul of 3/19 in the first ODI against New Zealand, in Napier, failed the 'Yo-Yo' fitness test last year and was also bogged down by some personal issues.
But putting all those troubles behind him, Shami reached the 100-wicket mark in his 56th game. On Wednesday, he dismissed openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro in the six overs he bowled.
"The fast bowling group together believes they can knock any side over. And the belief in his (Shami) own ability and his fitness - this is the fittest I've seen him in his career. And his Test form has translated into one-day cricket," Kohli said at the post-match presentation.
Besides his injury woes, the 27-year-old Shami was troubled by allegations of domestic violence by his wife last year. He failed the 'Yo-Yo' fitness test ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in June last year.
A 'Yo-Yo' test requires a player to sprint between two cones that are set 20 metres apart to the sound of a beep and is considered a reliable measure of an athlete's endurance and stamina.
Shami's comeback started in Australia, where he picked up 16 wickets in the Test series.
Speaking about India's eight-wicket win, in Napier, on Wednesday, Kohli said he was pleased with the all-round effort.
"It was one of our more balanced performances in the last few games. When I lost the toss, I thought it was going to be 300 par. 150-odd on that wicket was superb," Kohli said.
For India, wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was the most successful bowler, returning figures of 4/39 in 10 overs, while Yuzvendra Chahal and Kedar Jadhav shared three wickets among themselves.
"The pitch got slow in the second half of the innings but in the first half, the spinners bowled well, cramped the batsmen and they still made it difficult despite the dimensions of the field," Kohli said.
The skipper also praised opener Shikhar Dhawan, who was unbeaten on 75 in the 156-run chase.
"Really important innings for Shikhar and we spoke during the sun break that he needed to finish the game to get some momentum. He is a dangerous player when in rhythm," Kohli said.
Kohli's Kiwi counterpart Kane Williamson said his team was just not upto it here.
"It wasn't our best effort. We expected India to be good and they were very good. We just had to get through the slower balls but I do think their lengths were immaculate," he said.
"Obviously 150 on the board on a surface where 250 was par was hard. It was lack of adjusting to the surface. All the Indian bowlers contributed but we do need to be better," he added.
But he did touch on the positives as well.
"I do think our energy in the field and with the ball was good though and we need to move on from this game quickly," he said.
I am back to my best, says World Cup contender Shami
Mohammed Shami has emerged as a strong contender for a World Cup spot and the in-form India pacer attributed his successful ODI comeback to his stellar Test performances over the last 12 months.
Shami had earned a recall to the ODI squad in the home series against the West Indies in October. Following a brilliant run in the Tests and ODIs in Australia, he carried his form into the opening ODI in New Zealand, taking three wickets for 19 runs.
The 28-year-old has overcome fitness and personal issues to give his best for India.
"It has been a long journey. I played the 2015 World Cup, then got injured and it took me two years to recover. After the rehab, I made it to the 2016 World T20 squad. Then after a while, I got full confidence and felt like I was back on track," said Shami after becoming the fastest Indian to 100 wickets in ODIs.
"You saw in 2018, I played regular Test cricket. The confidence level is very high, I am bowling with the same speed that I used to earlier. Hope I can continue this," he added.
He was the second highest wicket-taker in the landmark Test series win against Australia with 16 scalps, only behind Jasprit Bumrah (21) and Nathan Lyon (21). So, ahead of the three-match ODI series against Australia, his confidence was sky high.
"I like Test cricket more than other formats. The way we have done in the last three-four series (as a bowling unit), it does your confidence a world of good. If the bowling unit is delivering, the pressure is divided and that helps you give your best," he said.
He may have hit top form but Shami is not losing sleep over a World Cup berth. The big-ticket event is scheduled to be held in England from May 30.
"I am not thinking too far ahead. It depends on my fitness and performance when the team is picked. As I said, we have the best bowling unit. They can pick anyone."
Talking about his man of the match-winning effort on Wednesday, Shami added: "It was a high-scoring pitch. Your line and length has got to be accurate. You have to be really disciplined, especially with the smaller grounds in New Zealand."
