Mohammed Shami‘s much-anticipated comeback was further delayed after the Indian pacer wasn’t included in India’s playing eleven for the first T20I against England as the team management didn’t find him fitting into the combination keeping nature of Eden Gardens track in mind. Everyone was anticipating Shami’s international comeback after 14 months but once skipper Suryakumar Yadav announced at the toss about his exclusion from the playing eleven, it did fuel speculations whether national selectors were sanguine about his fitness. Post match, star of the evening Abhishek Sharma clarified that the veteran pacer was dropped on account of conditions and the combinations that team management found to be conducive.
“I feel it’s the decision of the team management and they thought it’s a better option keeping in mind of these conditions,” Abhishek said at the post-match press conference.
India’s new-look T20 team is completely Gautam Gambhir‘s handiwork and it has worked exceptionally till now with focus on condition specific role than conforming to star culture.
Not picking a bowler of Shami’s calibre, looking at the track and going with three specialist spinners and one frontline pacer was ‘GamBall’ against ‘Bazball’ and there are no marks for guessing which philosophy came up trumps.
Actually if one goes by his 11-year international career, T20Is haven’t been his strongest suit as he played 23 of them with 24 wickets and an economy rate of nearly nine runs per over.
Hence Gambhir didn’t want to fit in a veteran returning post 14-month forced international hiatus into conditions where his length, he might have thought, could have been cannon fodder for Jos Buttler and company. Ironically, the seemingly fit-again 34-year-old pacer bowled for close to half an hour at the side nets, targeting stumps, even as Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav announced the playing XI without including him after opting to bowl at the toss. Although there is a heavy strapping on his left knee, Shami had bowled full tilt at the India nets in all their sessions.
While Abhishek, one of the junior most in the national set-up spoke about combination, the question however remains whether problem of a swelling left knee after each rigorous session is still causing problems for the veteran pacer.
There seemed to be no significant doubts about his fitness, as skipper Suryakumar had expressed confidence in Shami’s inclusion during the pre-match media interaction.
“It’s always good to have an experienced bowler in your side, and he is making a comeback after over a year. I am really excited to see him. I have witnessed his journey—what he did at the NCA, how he focused on his bowling and recovery. It’s great to see him fit and back in the side,” Suryakumar said on Tuesday.
Shami himself spoke about his eagerness to return, emphasizing the hard work he put into proving his fitness by playing in all three domestic formats for Bengal—starting with the Ranji Trophy, followed by the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, and concluding with the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
“The hunger to play for the country should never end. If you love it, you will always fight back, no matter how many injuries you face,” Shami said at a Cricket Association of Bengal event.
“No matter how many matches I play, it always feels like less. Once I leave cricket, I may never get this chance again,” he added during CAB’s felicitation ceremony for the victorious Under-15 women’s cricketers at Eden Gardens on Monday.
Shami has also been bowling at full throttle since the camp began on Sunday, when he underwent a rigorous three-phase session spanning more than an hour.
On the eve of the match on Tuesday, he returned to bowl at full intensity without any noticeable discomfort.
Despite his left knee being consistently strapped, he did not require attention from the physio or the strength and conditioning coach.
The only hint of unease came when he walked back to the dressing room, moving cautiously and taking measured steps, seemingly mindful of his left leg.
Shami’s comeback has drawn significant attention in the lead-up to the Champions Trophy, especially with a fitness cloud hanging over star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who developed a back niggle during the fifth Test in Sydney.
Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar also underlined Shami’s importance while announcing the Champions Trophy squad in Mumbai last week. “I don’t think his fitness issues were related to white-ball cricket. We were trying to get him to Australia. Unfortunately, his knee didn’t allow him to play four-day or five-day cricket.
“With white-ball cricket, he has played most of the Syed Mushtaq Ali games and some of the Vijay Hazare games. With uncertainty around Jassi (Bumrah), if Shami is fit and playing regularly, his quality and experience are invaluable,” Agarkar said.
Shami’s next opportunity to prove his readiness will likely come later in the series, with India aiming to find the right balance ahead of the Champions Trophy.
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