Indian cricket team fast bowler Mohammed Shami took to social media to react to not getting selected for the upcoming Test series against Australia. Shami has been missing in action since the ODI World Cup 2023 final after suffering an ankle injury in November. The pacer underwent surgery and completed his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) before his return was derailed by swelling in his knees. While Shami recently said that he has no pain in his knees anymore, the selectors decided to not include him for the much-anticipated series.
Shami posted a video of his training on Instagram along with the caption – “Putting in my efforts and getting better with my bowling fitness day-by-day. Will continue working hard towards getting ready for the match and to play domestic red ball cricket. Sorry to all cricket fans and bcci too, but very soon I’m ready to play red ball cricket , love you all”.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has acknowledged that Mohammed Shami’s absence is a big loss for India, but added his team won’t take the pacers who replace him lightly during the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy series starting on November 22 in Perth, citing the Gabba Test win of the visitors’ in 2021.
Shami has been out of action since last year’s ODI World Cup in India due to an achilles injury which needed surgery this year. But there’s a possibility that Shami might join the Indian team for the second half of the Australia tour provided he proves his fitness and readiness in Bengal’s last two Ranji Trophy matches at Bengaluru and Indore respectively.
India has won Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia the last two times it was played here in 2018/19 and 2020/21 respectively. “Mohammed Shami is a big loss. The way our batters speak about his relentless nature, his line and lengths, the way he goes about his business, a real good complimenting skill set to Bumrah so think that one-two combo they’ll lack a little bit, and they’ll miss that.
“But needless to say we saw what happened last time, they had reserves that came in and did the job as well so they cannot be underestimated at all,” said McDonald to ABC TV’s Offsiders show on Sunday.
He also said Australia will have no issues in making teenage opener Sam Konstas play in Tests against India if the George Bailey-led selection committee feel he fits in their best playing eleven.
Konstas, who’s played just six first-class matches, smashed twin centuries in the Sheffield Shield for New South Wales this month, and made 43 in the side’s loss to Victoria on a spicy pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
(With IANS inputs)
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