Mohammed Shami Could Go To Australia For Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 After Performing Brilliantly In Comeback Ranji Trophy Match

Ranji Trophy 2024: The Men in Blue received a major boost as there are high chances that star pacer Mohammed Shami could join them for the upcoming five-match Test series against Australia after he performed brilliantly in his comeback match as he took four wickets in the Ranji Trophy clash on Thursday.

Featuring in the red-ball format after almost a year, Shami while playing for Bengal bowled four overs out of Madhya Pradesh's 57 overs during the first innings and registered figures of 19-4-54-4. He dismissed batters like MP captain Shubham Sharma, all-rounder Saransh Jain, and two tail-enders, where three of these batters were being bowled and one edged as wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha took an easy catch.

Although it is a huge boost for the Rohit Sharma-led side, the team management will keep a close watch on how his body reacts during the second innings and whether there is any swelling in his body after the match ends at the Holkar stadium.

Also Read: ENG vs WI, 3rd T20I fantasy prediction

If everything goes in his favor, then he would all but join the Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the second Test, which is a day/night match. The ongoing domestic match would get over on November 16 and there are high chances that he could join the team before the series opener, which would be held in Perth from November 22.

If Shami does actually go, then he would first be required to play a two-day day/night practice match against Prime Minister's XI. Besides his wicket-taking ability, both the team management and the national selection committee would first analyze how his body would react.

Shami, who stayed away from competitive cricket after the 2023 ODI World Cup last year, underwent an ankle surgery. He was on the verge of making a comeback to the national Test squad for the three-match series against New Zealand but he developed a swelling in his knee, which delayed his return.

Although the BCCI did announce the 18-member team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last month, it was understood that the selection committee and the team management would include Shami once he gets the clearance from BCCI's medical team.

A source close to the Cricket Association of Bengal informed PTI that Ajay Ratra, who is a member of the national selection committee came with the NCA medical team to watch Shami perform. They would be sending their feedback to Ajit Agarkar, skipper Rohit Sharma, and head coach Gautam Gambhir before making the final decision.

"Shami was asked to play this game keeping in mind that the next round of the Ranji Trophy will only start on January 23 after the Test season is over. So, the selectors had only one match to check his fitness. He has bowled 19 overs in multiple spells and fielded for most 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", a BCCI source was quoted as saying to PTI.

"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 concluded.