Mohammed Shami's eagerly awaited return to international cricket might get delayed further as reports suggest that the right-arm speedster has been hit by a fresh injury. As per a report by the Times of India, Shami has suffered a knee injury and is unlikely to be available for Bengal for the first round of the Ranji Trophy.
"Shami had resumed bowling and he was looking on track to make a comeback to competitive cricket soon. But this knee injury has flared up recently. BCCI's medical team is assessing the injury but it may require quite a bit of time," a BCCI source was quoted as saying in the report.
Notably, Shami was expected to make his return to competitive cricket in the first round of the Ranji Trophy after being named in Bengal's squad. However, the latest development has jeopardised his participation in India's premier red-ball domestic tournament.
The BCCI medical team has been closely monitoring Shami's fitness at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to get him up and running for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to be played down under. Team India would require the services of the veteran pacer as he has the experience of playing in the Australian conditions.
If Shami fails to regain his fitness in time then it will put a lot of burden on Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Bumrah has a terrific record in the red-ball format against Australia in Australia. The right-arm speedster has picked up 32 wickets in seven Tests down under at a spectacular average of 21.25, including a five-wicket haul.
Other than Siraj and Bumrah, India do not have an experienced pacer who can be relied upon in Australia. While Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar have impressed in the limited opportunities that they have got in Tests, they are still learning the craft at the highest level.
India's tour of Australia will get underway on November 22 with the first Test in Perth.
