Mohammed Shami, the star Indian pacer, has made a remarkable comeback in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match against Madhya Pradesh. His exceptional bowling performance has reignited Bengal’s hopes in the contest.
Shami’s mastery of seam bowling was evident as he claimed four crucial wickets in MP’s first innings. His pace, accuracy, and ability to extract movement from the pitch proved too much for the MP batters. He finished with impressive figures of 4/54 in 19 overs, with an economical rate of 2.80.
Among his victims were MP captain Shubham Sharma and lower-order batters Saransh Jain and Kumar Kartikeya. Shami’s wickets played a pivotal role in restricting MP to a manageable 167, giving Bengal a lead of 61 runs at lunch on Day 2.
Shami’s return has energized Bengal’s bowling attack, which had struggled in their own batting innings, being bowled out for 228 on Day 1. His presence has provided a much-needed boost to the team’s morale.
However, Shami’s availability for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Australia remains uncertain. He was initially left out of the squad due to fitness concerns. Captain Rohit Sharma had emphasized that they did not want to risk an “undercooked Shami” on the challenging Australian pitches.
Despite his absence from the BGT squad, Shami’s performance in the Ranji Trophy could potentially earn him a call-up. Cricket legends like Ricky Ponting believe that Shami’s pace and bounce would be invaluable on the fast tracks in Australia.
If Shami proves his form and fitness in this Ranji game, he could address what many see as a minor gap in India’s pace arsenal. His experience and skill could strengthen the team’s chances in the high-stakes series against Australia, which begins on November 22 in Perth.
