NEW DELHI: After a comprehensive win in the series opener vs Australia in Perth, the Indian cricket team was riding high on confidence. Jasprit Bumrah was at his magical best, Mohammed Siraj seemed to have rediscovered his mojo and Harshit Rana made an instant impact on his Test debut.
The mood, however, drastically changed as the colour of the ball went from red to pink for the next Test in Adelaide. India stuck to the same bowling combination for the 2nd Test and they failed to click as a unit. Bumrah seemed overworked and Australia’s gameplan of seeing him off cautiously worked!
What India clearly lacked in that Adelaide fixture was an able support cast with Bumrah, and it wasn’t a surprise that Mohammed Shami started dominating social media trends. Representing his state Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Shami was some thousand miles away from action and was proving his fitness under the watchful eyes of the National Cricket Academy specialists.
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It wasn’t a surprise when Rohit was asked about Shami’s availability after the Adelaide Test and the skipper reiterated that the door remained open for the experienced pacer. However, he emphasised that the team was being cautious about Shami’s fitness.
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“We are just monitoring him because while playing Syed Mushtaq Ali, he got some swelling in his knee, which hampers his preparation to come and play a Test match. We want to be very careful, we don’t want to bring him here, he pulls up sore or something happens. We want to be more than 100% sure with him because it has been a long time,” Rohit said.
SHAMI STRUGGLING WITH KNEE SWELLING
Shami has not played for India since the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia, sidelined by an achilles injury that required surgery earlier this year. After enduring setbacks during his recovery, he returned to competitive cricket for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, where he picked up seven wickets against Madhya Pradesh in Indore.
Following this, Shami has played all group stage games for Bengal in the SMAT and also featured in the knockout fixture vs Chandigarh last evening. While there were hopes Shami would join the squad during the series, his knee swelling has delayed his return. On Sunday, Rohit confirmed that bringing Shami to Australia on short notice would be a poor decision.
Before departing for the tour, Rohit had already hinted at Shami’s absence, describing him as “undercooked” and unfit for the rigours of a high-stakes series.
BOWLING UNIT MUST STAND UP TO SUPPORT BUMRAH
The team faced another blow when Jasprit Bumrah suffered an injury scare during the second day of the Adelaide Test, adding to the pressure on the bowling attack.
In Shami’s absence, Bumrah bore the responsibility of leading the pace department. He was supported by Mohammed Siraj and an experienced pair of Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
In the Perth Test, Bumrah’s brilliance was complemented by Siraj’s consistency and Rana’s impressive debut performance. Rana, thriving in Australian conditions, picked up three crucial wickets in the first innings and another in the second, showcasing his ability to bowl decisive deliveries.
Rana’s confidence was already evident before the Adelaide Test too, thanks to his four-wicket haul during the warm-up match in Canberra. However, Rana struggled in Adelaide, conceding 86 runs in 16 overs at an economy rate of 5.37 and going wicketless.
Despite this, he received support from Rohit.
“Rana didn’t do anything wrong in the first Test. He bowled well, got crucial breakthroughs, and I believe that players shouldn’t be let go if they haven’t done anything wrong… If it happens, how will other members of the team feel secure?,” Rohit said in support of Rana.
As India gear up for the Brisbane Test, starting on December 14, all eyes will be on Bumrah’s fitness and how Rohit manages the bowling attack in this crucial match.
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MEDICAL TEAM MONITORING SHAMI
Shami’s fitness is now under the close watch of BCCI’s medical staff.
According to a Cricbuzz report, SS Das from the selection committee and a team from the NCA, led by Nitin Patel, are assessing whether Shami can endure the demands of Test cricket.
If declared fully fit, Shami’s return would be a significant boost for India’s campaign.
MUKESH KUMAR: A POSSIBLE OPTION
Mukesh Kumar, often compared to Shami, is one of the traveling reserves with the team. With prior experience in overseas conditions, including South Africa and the West Indies, he could play a key role if needed.
Mukesh, who was part of the squad for the World Test Championship Final and the ODI series against South Africa last year, has consistently delivered in domestic and A-team matches.
He made his Test debut in 2023 against the West Indies, taking seven wickets across three matches.
If Bumrah is unavailable or further issues arise, Rohit may look to Mukesh as a viable option during the series.
