New Delhi: Having enjoyed a somewhat less than perfect outing during the UAE leg of the IPL, the Delhi Daredevils are determined to pick up the tempo in the upcoming India leg of the tournament.
The bowling department, in particular, has been disapponting and pacer Mohammed Shami admitted that Delhi need to pull up their socks.
“We need to improve our death bowling. We are putting in a lot of effort and hopefully we will put up an improved performance,” Shami said on the sidelines of the Daredevils’ practice session here on Wednesday.
“Our aim is to restrict the opposition in the range of 130-140. The wickets will be slightly different over here. In Abu Dhabi, the strips had a greenish tinge. The amount of bounce will be different here.”
Shami, who has only managed three wickets in five matches so far, feels that it is easier to share the new ball in the India team with Bhuvneshwar Kumar than bowling in for DD since the combinations keep changing in the IPL team.
“Bowling for India is easier. With Bhuvi operating from the other end, it becomes a tad easier for me. His job is to swing the ball and try to contain. I can freely attack from the other end. Here the combinations keep changing. We are still trying to find the right mix. Nadeem (Shahbaz) is a good bowler but I have to be more lethal with the new ball.”
Talking about his own bowling, Shami said that he would never compromise on pace, adding that former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar had advised him to work on his run-up.
“Shoaib bhai has advised me to never compromise on pace. The other subtle changes that he has suggested are also valuable inputs. I will certainly work on those aspects as it will help me become a better bowler for India in near future,” the Bengal pacer said.
