In a single match that India has come back, it didn’t hand any place to Mohammed Shami in the next game against England in the ongoing five-match T20I series in which India took a decisive 3-1 lead on Friday in Pune.
Shami made his first international appearance since November 2023 in the third T20I in Rajkot. The seam position was as good as ever, but the experienced bowler went wicketless in a three-over spell.
Aiming to seal the deal, India brought Arshdeep Singh in the playing XI for a cameo role, having earlier opted either for Shami or him.
Why was the 34-year-old’s Pune exclusion put with India?
Bowling coach Morne Morkel said the Sultan of Bengal, who has been doing well in the training sessions, has indicated he might get another game during the fifth final T20I to be contested in Mumbai on Sunday.
“When asked about the seamer’s exclusion during a media interaction on Friday night, Morkel replied: “Shami has been bowling well. He is hitting the glove quite hard during warmups. So quite happy to have him back and running.”
“He is definitely going to be having an opportunity in the next game, so let’s wait and see how this goes. But it’s exciting to have him back in with the group, and get him sharing his experience and knowledge at training is a huge boost for the young bowling unit and for Indian cricket. So really nice to have Shami back in the mix.”
Shami had undergone surgery for his ankle just after the 2023 ODI World Cup, keeping him at bay throughout the rest of the year. Coming back to competitive cricket with Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, he featured in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and then continued on to the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Shami was in the mix for India’s tour of Australia in December, but he was delayed with a knee injury while returning to the international setup. He was also included in India’s squad for any One-day Internationals in the England series, and the Champions Trophy is due to be held later this month.
