Showing no signs of rust, Mohammed Shami carried Bengal to the quarterfinals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy by smashing a game-changing 17-ball-32 and bowling 13 dot balls in his four overs that paved way for his team’s thrilling three-run win against Chandigarh on Monday. With no clarity over his international comeback, the 34-year-old played his eighth SMAT T20 game in 16 days and has bowled his full quota in almost all the games. On the day, he first used long handle to a good effect, taking 19 runs off seasoned Sandeep Sharma‘s final over as Bengal reached 159 for 9 after tottering at 114 for 8.
He crunched two sixes and three fours, mostly flashing through point region but the final wicket stand of 21 off 10 balls with Sayan Ghosh proved crucial.
Bengal have set a target of 160 in front of Chandigarh
Mohd. Shami provides a crucial late surge with 32*(17)
Karan Lal top-scored with 33 (25)
Jagjit Singh Sandhu was the pick of the Chandigarh bowlers with 4/21#SMAT | @IDFCFIRSTBank
Scorecardhttps://t.co/u42rkbUfTJ pic.twitter.com/gQ32b5V9LN
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 9, 2024
Veteran Kolkata Maidan slinger Ghosh (4/30), who is known to be a death overs specialist, bowled a brilliant final over where 11 runs were required as Nikhil Sharma’s planning went all awry. Chandigarh were restricted to 156 for 9.
Shami looked bowling fit
Having already warmed up nicely by facing 17 deliveries, Shami bowled a very good first spell and removed opener Arsalan Z Khan off the very third delivery, caught by Shakir Habib Gandhi.
Compared to his first Ranji Trophy game against Madhya Pradesh where he looked overweight and slightly paunchy despite bowling 42 overs, Monday’s Shami looked leaner and the famous upright seam presentation was very much there.
During the Ranji match, many experts debated how his follow-through, which is pretty straight post delivery, was ending towards cover which is an indication that he was unable to complete his action.
But on Monday, the follow-through looked way more straighter than that comeback game.
He bowled at an average speed of 135 clicks with one delivery cranking in the range of 139 kmph. During the first spell of three overs, he went for only 11 runs which included one lofted boundary by Manan Vohra and a streaky four by Amrit Lal Lubana, who was hurried into a stroke that became a Chinese cut.
In the final over which was the penultimate of the innings, he was picked for a boundary and a six when he tried a slowish off-break which was picked by Jagjit Singh Sandhu.
In all, Shami has now played nine domestic games — one Ranji Trophy (42.3 overs) and eight SMAT T20 games (31.3 over). He has bowled a total of 64 overs and taken 16 wickets.
Is Shami fit for Test level?
He looks pretty much on course even though it is a four-over format but in a Test match as a premier bowling partner of Jasprit Bumrah, he would be expected to bowl at least three if not four spells of 20 overs in a day on an average. He would also need to field 100 overs.
It is believed that national selectors are willing to pick him as and when he is deemed fit but there is a discussion in the BCCI corridors that the veteran speedster himself has told the NCA medical team that “he is still not Test match ready”.
He has been telling his assessors that he has no problems while bowling but feels a bit of swelling in his knee after matches, something that Test skipper Rohit Sharma also mentioned in his media interaction after losing the Adelaide Test.
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