The struggling Indian squad may benefit from Mohammed Shami’s remarkable comeback from injury, as he took four wickets in a Ranji Trophy encounter on Thursday. Shami, who represents Bengal, bowled four periods over 57 overs in Madhya Pradesh’s first innings, finishing with scores of 19-4-54-4.
His victims included MP leader Shubham Sharma, all-rounder Saransh Jain, and two tailenders, with three of the four batsmen bowled and one edged to keeper Wriddhiman Saha. While this is wonderful news for the Indian squad, it is thought that the national selection committee would consider how his body holds up in the second innings.
If he checks all of the boxes, he will almost certainly join forces with Jasprit Bumrah to lead the pace before the second Test, which will be a day/night match. The Ranji Trophy match concludes on November 16, and he may join the squad before the first Test, which begins in Perth on November 22, but that may be stretching it too thin.
If Shami goes, he can play a two-day, day/night practice game against the Prime Minister’s XI. More than the wicket he took on Thursday, the team management, national selection committee, and BCCI’s Sports Sciences & Medical Team want to see how his body holds up.
Shami, who has not played a competitive game since last year’s ODI World Cup final on November 19, underwent ankle surgery. Just as he was set to return for the three-Test match against New Zealand, the senior fast bowler got a swelling in his knee, delaying his return.
Despite naming an 18-a-part squad for the nations of Australia, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee and team management are expected to include Shami once Dr Nitin Patel, the BCCI’s head of Medical and Sports Science, certifies him fit.