We have special plans for Oz: Shami
pacer Mohammed Shami, back after a break to face Australia in the ODI series starting on Sunday, said the hosts have plans in place to subdue their rivals but blanking them 5-0 was not on their minds.
India take on the Aussies with the first game to be played in Chennai. “Australia are a tough side. We can’t afford to take them lightly, (but) we have got plans for them, which I can’t reveal,” Shami told reporters here.
India’s pace attack will be in full strength as along with Shami, Umesh Yadav is also returning after being rested for the limited-overs phase in Sri Lanka. Shami acknowledged the threat posed by skipper Steve Smith and opener David Warner. “They are world class batsmen. We have plans for them too. It won’t be easy against players of that calibre. The Aussies are a much stronger side than before. But we will focus on our strengths,” the 27-year-old said.
On India’s rotation policy and the decision to leave out spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for at least the first three games, Shami said: “It’s a good thing. If key players are rested in a while, they get to stretch their legs as well.” However, Ashwin is playing for Worcestershire in the English County. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel, chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav and legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal are in the squad.
‘PLAN A IS CUMMINS PLAYING IN ALL GAMES’
CHENNAI: The Australia team management will monitor pace spearhead Pat Cummins’ workload though the team management expected him to play in all five ODIs, stand-in coach David Saker said on Wednesday.
“At this stage we’re planning for him to play all the games. We will look at (resting him), it’s obviously been brought up between all of us.
“We know that his workloads are up there, but we know it’s an important series. It’s Australia versus India, it doesn’t get any bigger than that,” Saker was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. Saker, the fast bowling coach, is deputising for head coach Darren Lehmann.
Cummins would be leading a relatively inexperienced pace attack with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson nursing minor injuries ahead of the Ashes series against England.