Shami hits his stride, improves chances of India return

The beleaguered Indian team could get the Mohammed Shami boost during the challenging Australia tour after the pace-bowling stalwart made an impressive comeback from injury by grabbing four wickets in a Ranji Trophy match.

Playing his first red-ball game in more than a year, Shami, who represents Bengal, bowled four spells across 57 overs in Madhya Pradesh’s first innings and returned with figures of 19-4-54-4.

His victims included MP skipper Shubham Sharma, all-rounder Saransh Jain and two tail-enders, with three of the four batters being bowled while one edged to keeper Wriddhiman Saha.

While this is great news for the Indian team, it is understood that the national selection committee will look at how his body holds up in the second innings as well and whether there is any swelling or pain at the end of the contest, being played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.

If he ticks all the boxes, it is almost assured that he will join forces with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah before the second Test, which will be a Day/Night affair.

The Ranji Trophy match ends on November 16 and he could join the squad before the first Test, beginning in Perth on November 22, but that could be cutting it too fine.

In case Shami goes, he will get to play a two-day Day/Night practice game against Prime Minister’s XI.

More than the wickets he took on Thursday, the team management and national selection committee along with the BCCI’s Sports Science & Medical Team want to check how his body holds up.

Shami, who did not play a competitive game after the ODI World Cup final on November 19 last year, had undergone an ankle surgery. Just when he was about to return for the three-Test series against New Zealand, the senior fast bowler developed a swelling in his knee, delaying his comeback.