In the 3rd Test against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2018, Shami was on fire, taking 5 wickets for 28 runs in the 4th innings and winning the match by 63 runs. It turns out he was angry with Ravi Shastri over a plate of biryani. This was India’s chance to salvage some pride in a series where they were 0-2 down.
India set a target of 241 for South Africa and by the 4th day, the hosts were comfortable at 124 for 2 with a partnership between Hashim Amla and Dean Elgar. With 104 runs needed and 7 wickets in hand, Shami was seen loading up on biryani during the lunch break. Shastri joked with him, “You’re not hungry at all, are you?”
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Shastri walked past Shami’s table and saw his full plate. Shami said he didn’t want any more biryani and got upset. Shastri understood that Shami’s anger could be channelized into his game and told the team to let him be.
After the break, Shami unleashed his fury on the South African batsmen, taking 5 wickets in 12 overs as the hosts collapsed from 144 for 3 to 177 all out. This was a big win for India in a tough series. When Shami came back to the dressing room, he was given the same biryani he had pushed away earlier.
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He joked with Shastri, “Maybe you should make me angry more often to get the best out of me.” With 229 wickets from 64 Tests, Shami is still one of India’s top bowlers.