• Source:JND
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India vs Australia Test Series: As India prepares to face Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy starting Friday, stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah dropped a hint about star pacer Mohammed Shami's possible return to the team for the marquee series, starting from Friday.

With regular skipper Rohit Sharma absent due to paternity leave, Bumrah has taken the reins as vice-captain for the first Test in Perth. However, Rohit is expected to rejoin the team before the second Test, resuming his leadership duties.

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In a pre-match press conference in Perth, Bumrah provided an update on Shami's availability for the series. Bumrah described Shami as a vital cog in the Indian team and confirmed that the team management is keeping a close eye on his progress.

Shami's long recovery from an ankle injury, which had surgery and a stint at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), finally came to an end and the seasoned pacer made a strong comeback in the Ranji Trophy, taking seven wickets against Madhya Pradesh to guide Bengal to victory.

“Mohammad Shami is an integral part of this team. He’s started bowling, and the management is keeping a close eye on him. If everything goes well, you might see him here as well,” Bumrah, who has 31 wickets to his name in Test matches played on Australian soil, said in a pre-match press conference.

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Despite facing a whitewash 3-0 in the Test series against New Zealand on home soil, Bumrah issued a stern forewarning to Australia ahead of the first Test, warning them against underestimating India.

“We are very well prepared because we came here early. We got some time to spend at WACA. A lot of youngsters are coming here for the first time. But when we came here for the first time, we got less time than this, and we ended up winning the series. We always believe and have confidence in our side. Whenever we play, whatever the situation might be, So yes, in terms of preparations, we are in a very good place. And then now it’s all about being mentally switched on, and we are looking to do that, and hopefully things will fall into place," he added.