Mohammed Shami, who was ruled out of the ongoing ODI series against Bangladesh, is unlikely to feature in the two-match Test series as well. There are reports that the 32-year-old has not fully recovered from the shoulder injury that he suffered before the start of the ODI series opener against Bangladesh. Shami is one of India’s most experienced players, having won a number of games for the team over the years, particularly in the Test format.
According to a report, the 32-year-old right-arm pacer, who has featured in 60 Tests till date and has picked up 216 wickets, will not be available for the red-ball assignment. He is yet to fully recover from the shoulder strain.
The senior pacer is at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru these days, and as per the report, the signs are not good. Shami’s absence will be a big blow for India, which is already missing the services of star pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah, who is India’s best bowler in all three formats of the game, last played for the Men in Blue in September during the final T20I of a three-match series against Australia.
If Shami fails to make it in time for the Test series, then for the all-important two Tests against Bangladesh, which start on December 14, India will have to bank upon the experience of Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur. The red-ball series is important for India because a whitewash will ignite the team’s chances of reaching the World Test Championship final.
