Rohit Sharma provides crucial update on Mohammed Shami 

by Sahil Jain
Rohit Sharma press conference - Adelaide Test 2024

There has been a lot of focus on Mohammed Shami over the last couple of months. It’s grown a lot more in the last couple of weeks. The Bengal fast bowler returned to competitive cricket after more than a year’s gap.

After a lengthy layoff because of an ankle injury and surgery, Shami played one Ranji Trophy match before turning up for as many as eight T20 encounters in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, the Indian think tank are still uncertain whether to fly him to Australia.  

Rohit Sharma revealed that the 34-year-old pacer sustained a swelling on his knee which has hampered his recovery and preparation to be fit for Test cricket. The knee swelling was something that pushed his rehab back as well. 

Definitely, the door is very much open. But we’re just monitoring him because while playing Syed Mushtaq Ali (Trophy), he again got some swelling in his knee, which obviously hampers his preparation to come and play a Test match,” Rohit Sharma was quoted saying in the post-match press conference after the second Test. 

The Indian captain admitted that the team wants Shami to be fully fit before they take a call on him. They don’t want him to play a Test match and break down midway through. It will only put pressure on Shami and the entire team.  

We want to be very, very careful. We don’t want to bring him (Shami) here in a situation where he plays and then he pulls up sore or something happens, we want to be more than 100 per cent sure with him because it’s been such a long time since he’s played cricket. And to be fair to him, we don’t want to put pressure on him to come here and do the job for the team,” the Indian captain added.

BCCI medical team monitoring Shami

Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami

Rohit further said that the BCCI medical team is constantly monitoring Shami and the way he’s doing things during and after the game. A decision will be taken only after their assessment.

There are some professionals who are monitoring him. They (BCCI’s medical team) are there with him. And we will take the call based on what those guys feel there. Because they are the ones watching him every game, how he pulls up after the game, after bowling four overs, standing for 20 overs. So, we just have to be very, very careful. But again, like I said, that door is very much open for him to come and play anytime,” Rohit explained. 

Shami is a vital cog in the Indian pace attack. His absence meant that Harshit Rana earned his maiden Test cap in the first Test in Perth. While he fared well on debut, Rana was expensive in his second Test in Adelaide. Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna are the other pacers in the squad at the moment.  

Shami’s experience could prove to be crucial going forward. The series is level 1-1 at the moment in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With the third Test in Brisbane starting in five days, Shami’s inclusion in that game looks unlikely. If things go well, he could well be added for the last two Tests which are scheduled to be played in Melbourne and Sydney. Shami has played four Tests at the last two venues and has taken 18 wickets at an average of 31.47.

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