Indian national cricket team’s superstar fast bowler Mohammed Shami is all set to return in the third test against the Australian national cricket team in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
Mohammed Shami is likely to play his first international match since the 2023 ODI World Cup at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba in Brisbane, starting on December 14.
Mohammed Shami not included in India squad for Australia tour
Mohammed Shami has not been named in India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. There are a total of eight pacers in the team, including reserves, but Shami was not picked.
Jasprit Bumrah will lead the bowling attack, which consists of Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana in the main team and Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar and Navdeep Saini in the reserves.
The pace attack led by Bumrah does not look threatening but the addition of Mohammed Shami would change things completely. Shami is currently recovering well after undergoing surgery on February 26 in London to fix his right Achilles tendon problem.
He has gradually returned to bowling and was seen bowling with Indian national cricket team assistant coach Abhishek Nayar after the Bengaluru Test between India and New Zealand.
Notably, Shami was initially expected to feature in the home Test series against Bangladesh or New Zealand, but his fresh knee setback delayed his return.
Yes, we have heard that Mohammed Shami could join the Bengal team for the Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka – Sources
According to IANS sources, Mohammed Shami will return to competitive cricket through Ranji Trophy 2024. He is likely to play two matches against Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, starting on November 6 and 13.
If everything goes as planned and he gets into top form, Shami will head straight to Australia and feature in India’s XI from the third Test onwards.
“Yes, we have heard that Shami might join the Bengal team for the Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka as the team will come to Bengaluru where he is already training, preparing fully and bowling at the NCA. “Everyone around him has been working hard to ensure that he can hopefully play the match against Karnataka starting November 6.”
“The parameters that the NCA people could look at for him would be the number of overs he bowls and what his recovery process is like after being on the field for a day or even after participating in all four days of Trophy games. Ranji. If all the processes regarding him go well, then we will probably see him with the Indian team in the Brisbane Test from December 14 to 18,” said the source aware of the developments.
Mohammed Shami’s return would be a big boost
Shami’s return would be a big boost for the Indian team, which recently faced a shocking loss in the Test series against New Zealand at home.
In the first Test in Bengaluru, India lost to New Zealand by 8 wickets, and in the second Test, they faced a 113-run defeat. It was the first time in over a decade that India lost a Test series at home and their 18-series winning streak was also snapped.
Mohammed Shami’s return will also take some load off Jasprit Bumrah, who lacks a good bowling partner at the moment with Mohammed Siraj out of form.
Shami played a key role in India’s first Test series victory in Australia in 2018/19 as he bagged 16 wickets in four matches at an average of 26.18.