Mohammed Shami’s recent return to competitive cricket after a year-long injury layoff has sparked discussions about his potential inclusion in India’s Test squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. However, former India opener Aakash Chopra believes that rushing Shami into Test cricket after just one game may be premature.
In his Ranji Trophy comeback match for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh, Shami bowled 43.2 overs and claimed a seven-wicket haul. While his performance was encouraging, Chopra feels that Shami still needs more time to regain his full fitness and rhythm.
“Mohammed Shami has played a match (Ranji). We weren’t able to see much of his bowling as it was not being streamed. We did see the wickets he took. I’d say he is undercooked,” Chopra said. “Honestly, we want Shami to be there (in Australia) because Bumrah, Shami, Siraj — there’s a different ring to it. In Bumrah, Siraj, Akash Deep combination, we can see a bit of weakness. Lack of experience can be felt.”
Chopra also expressed concerns about the potential for injury recurrence in Australia’s soft grounds. “Secondly, the grounds in Australia are very soft, so there are chances of recurrence of injury. I would say Shami should take more time. We all want Shami to play as soon as possible, but we shouldn’t hurry his return,” he added.
India’s pace department for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy includes Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshit Rana. Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Washington Sundar are the three spinners in the squad.
The first Test between India and Australia begins on November 22 in Perth.
