The former head coach of the Indian team, Ravi Shastri, has given his view on the potential comeback of their premier pace bowler, Mohammad Shami, for the upcoming five-match Test series in Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. The Bengal pacer is currently taking part in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 against Madhya Pradesh at the Holkar Stadium.
Mohammad Shami has been out of action for nearly a year, having played his last comparative game during the final of last year’s ODI World Cup against the Kangaroos, where he finished as the leading wicket-taker of the entire event with the help of 24 scalps in seven innings at an average of 10.70 and a strike rate of 12.20.
The last red-ball contest for the fast bowler came during the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 against the Pat Cummins-led side. He was later included in the Blue Brigade squad for the South Africa tour, but the injury ruled him out of the tour.
The successful surgery in February kept him out of the home five-match red-ball series against England and later the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 for the Gujarat Titans (GT), followed by the T20 World Cup 2024, which was played in the West Indies and the United States of America.
Mohammad Shami went through the recovery sessions at the National Cricket Academy, as he was supposed to make his return for the home season, but he featured in none of the five Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand. On the eve of the Kiwi series, reports circulated about his new injury, which was later approved by their Test captain Rohit Sharma.
Ravi Shastri seeks to see the return of Mohammad Shami in BGT 2024-25
The BCCI selection committee ignored the veteran while announcing the squad for the BGT 2024-25, which later saw the bowler featuring at the Holkar Stadium in Indore for Bengal. He started a little gingerly before finally earning the right and smooth rhythm in his bowling stance and registered figures of 4/54 in 19 overs.
The former head coach of India, Ravi Shastri, felt even though the responsibility of India’s bowling department will be on Jasprit Bumrah, the potential return of the Uttar Pradesh-born will be a massive boost for the Blue Brigade.
Having lost their first red-ball home series since the 2012/13 season, which was also the first whitewash of the format in known conditions in more than two decades, India finds themselves in a stiff position of requiring four victories in the last five clashes without any defeat to confirm their tickets for the upcoming final of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25.
“If anything, I would have wanted a little more support for Jasprit in the pace-bowling attack. So, the quicker Mohammad Shami gets fit and is on a flight, I think it’s better for India.” The former spin all-rounder for India expressed on the recent episode of the ICC Review show.
Also Read: Watch: Mohammad Shami Knocks The Door Of Indian Selectors With 4 Wickets On Comeback
The 34-year-old has picked up 229 Test scalps in 122 innings at an average of 27.71 and a strike rate of over 50 with the help of six five-wicket hauls at the best bowling figure of 6/56 in an inning. Out of those 31 wickets in 15 innings have come down under at an average of 32.16 and a strike rate of 54.2 with a couple of fifers.
The opening game of the series will be played on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Mohammad Shami could be fighting against time if got prepared for that contest.