Mohammed Shami, India’s seasoned pacer, is on the road to recovery after a year-long absence due to an ankle injury. The 34-year-old underwent Achilles tendon surgery earlier this year and has been working diligently to return to competitive cricket.
Shami’s recovery has progressed steadily, and he recently shared a video on social media showcasing his bowling prowess in the nets. The clip, accompanied by a motivational quote, highlights his determination to regain his fitness.
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out,” Shami wrote.
The veteran fast bowler has been training intensively, even bowling to India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar in the nets after India’s first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru.
Despite nearing full fitness, Shami was ruled out of the ongoing three-Test series against New Zealand. However, he remains optimistic about his return as India prepares for a five-Test series in Australia next month.
“It felt great because I had been bowling with half a run-up on and off since I can’t put too much stress on my body,” Shami said earlier. “We decided that I would bowl properly, and I gave my 100%. It felt great, and the results are good. Hopefully, I’ll be back on track soon.”
Shami emphasized the importance of spending more time on the field before India’s crucial tour of Australia, which begins on November 22 in Perth. He also expressed his desire to play a couple of domestic matches to regain match fitness before embarking on the overseas tour.
“I know what kind of an attack we want for that Test series (against Australia), so it’s better I spend some more time on the ground before going,” Shami said. “If I get fit and I get a gap of eight to 10 days, then it’s better I play one or two domestic matches before going to Australia.”
India will be hoping for a fully fit Shami to bolster their pace attack in what promises to be a high-intensity series Down Under.
