Mohammed Shami ready for Test matches against Bangladesh
The fast bowler is believed to have made great progress in his recovery after ankle surgery. India pacer Mohammed Shami has made great progress in recovering from an ankle injury that has kept him out of cricket since the ODI World Cup in November last year. He is expected to be ready to play in India’s domestic season, which begins with the Test series against Bangladesh in September.
The selectors have been informed about Shami’s progress and a decision will be taken soon on whether he should play in at least one match of the Duleep Trophy, starting in Anantapur on September 5, to prove his fitness.
Rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru
Shami is currently in his final stages of rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Last month, he started bowling for the first time since his surgery and is understood to have gradually increased his bowling workload after becoming pain-free.
Before India left for the Sri Lanka tour in July, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had confirmed that Shami had “started bowling” and the first Test against Bangladesh starting in Chennai on September 19 was “always the target for his return”.
Recovery timeline
We more or less know who they are, there are a few injuries at the moment and hopefully they will recover. Shami has started bowling which is a good sign. September 19 is the first Test and that was always the target. I don’t know if that is the timeline for his recovery, we will have to ask the NCA guys about that,” Agarkar had said.
There are a lot of Test matches coming up. We will need some depth. Bumrah, Shami and Siraj have been in the squad for a while, these are the obvious names. But there will be some talks about it. There is a lot of first-class cricket coming up, so we can prepare such players,” he added. Last month in Kolkata, Shami had expressed hope of playing for Bengal before making a comeback to the national team, while he informally participated in some motivational and fitness sessions for the state players.
First-class competition by BCCI
Even if Shami misses some or all of India’s home Test matches (two against Bangladesh and three against New Zealand), he still has enough time to build up his bowling rhythm for the tour of Australia, for which the team will depart soon after the third Test against New Zealand ends on November 5.
The Ranji Trophy is starting in October after the BCCI’s decision to split the first-class competition into two halves to avoid matches being affected by weather disturbances, especially during the winter in north India. India’s A team will also play two first-class matches in Australia from October 31, giving Shami plenty of opportunities if needed.
South Africa in December-January subject to fitness
The ankle injury, which surfaced soon after the 2023 ODI World Cup, was initially believed to be not that serious. Shami was included in India’s Test squad for the two-match series in South Africa in December-January, subject to fitness. He was later dropped from the tour.
Shami went back to the NCA hoping to recover for the home Tests against England in February-March but was advised surgery after persistent swelling in his right ankle ruled him out of the series and IPL 2024 for Gujarat Titans. Shami has been instrumental in India’s march to the ODI World Cup final, taking 24 wickets in just seven matches at an average of 10.70 and a strike rate of 12.20.
Will Shami be fit for India vs Bangladesh Tests?
Shami has made ‘great progress’ in his recovery from the ankle injury. The report states that the selectors have been informed about Shami’s progress and a decision on his participation in the Duleep Trophy will be taken soon.
The veteran pacer, who resumed bowling at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) a short while ago, is believed to be in his final stages of recovery from the injury.
Conclusion
Indian cricket team pacer Mohammed Shami is racing against time to be fit for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh. The pacer has been away from the field since the 2023 ODI World Cup, which he reportedly participated in despite an injury. According to reports, Shami is recovering well and is expected to be fit in time for the India vs Bangladesh series.
