Indian pacer Mohammed Shami made a dream comeback to competitive cricket after a gap of 360 days with a 4-wicket haul in Ranji cricket. However, more than the wickets themselves, what impressed the most was the kind of rhythm Shami displayed during the match.
While there were speculations about Shami getting fit in time for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Indian cricket board chose not to take any chances for the competitive bilateral series and instead opted for the pace-bowling combination of Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, and Harshit Rana. However, a new report by news agency PTI says that the BCCI is considering the possibility of flying in the pacer for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the recent Ranji performance.
Reportedly, the national selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, is closely monitoring how Shami’s body holds up in the second innings of the ongoing Test match against Madhya Pradesh, particularly if there is no swelling or pain at the end of the match. The Ranji Trophy match between Bengal and Madhya Pradesh is being played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore and will conclude on November 16.
The PTI report states that the BCCI is looking to send in Shami after the end of the Ranji match and before the start of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy match in Perth on November 22. While this timeline could be cutting it close, if Shami manages to reach Australia in time, he might get a chance to play in a two-day/night practice match against the Prime Minister’s XI.
BCCI selection committee member Ajay Ratra along with NCA Medical team head Nitin Patel are said to play major roles in Shami's comeback. Reportedly, Ratra had travelled with Patel to watch Shami bowl during Ranji trophy match and the duo's feeback would be sent to Indian captain Rohit Sharma, coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar.
A BCCI source quoted by PTI stated, "So, the selectors had only one match to check his fitness. He has bowled 19 overs in multiple spells and fielded for most part of the 57 overs. He bowled 90 dot balls. But he will again have to bowl and field (in the second innings). Suppose he bowls another 15 to 18 overs in the second innings, that's a very decent amount of overs bowled.
"But the biggest test would be whether he again feels any pain after four days. If the NCA medical team green-lights his fitness, obviously he will join before the second Test," the source added
