The door is very much open for him to come and play: Rohit Sharma on Mohammad Shami’s return to Border Gavaskar Trophy

Test Cricket
By Aditya Bhagchandani

India’s captain Rohit Sharma has indicated that senior fast bowler Mohammad Shami’s return to the squad is very much possible, though the management remains cautious about rushing him back. “The door is very much open, we are monitoring him, and we want to be very, very careful—more than 100%. We don’t want to put pressure on him. There are lots of professionals with him, and they will take the call, but that door is very much open for him to come and play,” Sharma said.

Shami has not played for India since the ODI World Cup final in November 2023, as he has been recovering from Achilles tendon surgery earlier this year. Following his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, the right-arm pacer also dealt with a knee swelling that delayed his return. However, Shami recently made his comeback to competitive cricket with Bengal in the Ranji Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

While Shami’s fitness clearance from the NCA is expected to be a “matter of formality,” cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has expressed concerns about the pacer’s immediate inclusion for the third Test against Australia, starting December 14 at the Gabba. “Shami has been a world-class bowler for India. There’s a lot of respect for him, but it might be a little bit difficult for him to be in Australia in time for the third Test. I would look at flying Shami from India for the Boxing Day Test onwards,” Gavaskar stated.

Gavaskar also weighed in on the performances of India’s young pacers, particularly Harshit Rana, who struggled during the Adelaide Test. Rana conceded 86 runs in 16 overs and failed to pick up a wicket. Gavaskar defended Rana, attributing his performance to a lack of experience with the pink ball. He added that there might be a toss-up between Harshit and Akash Deep for the Brisbane Test.

“Harshit bowled well in the first game, and you couldn’t leave him out of the Adelaide game. It could be because of his lack of experience with the pink ball, but for the next Test, it might be a question of either picking him or picking Akash Deep,” Gavaskar explained.

Shami’s playing kit has already been sent to Australia, and the NCA’s fitness clearance is expected soon. While the third Test might come too soon for Shami, it is expected that he will be available for the fourth Test in Melbourne, starting December 26.

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