Mohammed Shami joins Team India in Dharamsala

Mohammed Shami who made a successful comeback to competitive cricket yesterday featuring for Bengal in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy has joined the Indian team that has travelled to the picturesque Dharamsala for the final Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy that is at levels after the first three Tests.

Team India has been quite desperate to make the best of Mohammed Shami’s services and he too has been keen to represent the country and make an impact. But injuries have kept the right-arm pacer considered India’s best white ball bowler out of action more often than he has been on the field. Shami who injured himself during the Test series against England in December made a comeback in List A cricket yesterday.

Shami featured in the final and picked a four-wicket haul to not only indicate he was fit but has also managed to maintain his rhythm all this while. Though his bowling couldn’t ensure Bengal a win in India’s premier 50 overs tournament has certainly suggested the Indian team management that their pacer is fit and ready to be included in the team.

Team India played with four bowlers in the last two Test with Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav being the two pacers. Though they have done a fairly good job Ishant has bowled well but that hasn’t reflected on the wickets tally. When the team opts for four bowlers it is equally important that all the bowlers pitch in with wickets.

That coupled with the fact that Dharamsala has traditionally assisted pacers with swing given its geographical position and the overcast conditions usually found in the high altitude region. Indian captain Virat Kohli after the conclusion of the Ranchi Test yesterday said, “We sent him to play because we saw him bowling 10 to 12 overs at a go. So we wanted to give him some match practice,”

“I haven’t spoken to the selectors yet so all kind of possibilities are there before the next Test,” he said.