Shami's Test career at a crossroads

Bengaluru: Mohammed Shami’s battle with injury continues to cast a long shadow over his cricketing future. An ankle issue that first surfaced a year and a half ago has kept him from attaining full fitness despite a surgery and an extensive rehabilitation programme.

The veteran pacer had already missed a high-stakes tour — the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Now, he finds himself sidelined once again, omitted from the squad for the Pataudi Trophy in England due to concerns over his ability to cope with the demands of Test cricket.

At 35, the question naturally arises: is this the end of the road for one of India’s finest seamers? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But what’s undeniable is that the path back to Test cricket will only grow steeper from here.

India certainly felt his absence in Australia, where pitches offered bite and bounce. They might feel it even more in England, where Shami’s style -- sharp seam movement, ability to extract swing and impeccable control -- could have thrived. His performance on India’s last tour to England was proof of his value, helping the team take a 2-1 lead after four Tests before the final match was suspended due to a Covid-19 outbreak in the camp. Shami, along with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, would have formed an irresistible force.

Shami’s threshold for pain is the stuff of legend. He bowled through the 2015 World Cup nursing a knee injury and may have even played part of the preceding Test series in pain Down Under. He repeated that madness at the 2023 World Cup at home, emerging as the tournament’s most successful bowler despite the same troubling ankle. But this time, the optimism has dimmed. The BCCI’s medical staff is far less confident about his chances of enduring the rigours of red-ball cricket.

“He has been trying to get fit for the series but he has had a little bit of a setback for the last week or so and he has got some MRIs done,” chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed while announcing the squad for the five-Test England series. “I’d like to mention, I don’t think he was going to be available for all five Tests. I don’t think his workload is where it needs to be.”

“It’s what the medical guys told us — that he’s been ruled out of the series.” Agarkar added.

With Bumrah likely to be managed across just three Tests, Shami’s presence would have been a valuable cushion. Instead, India will lean on the talented but less experienced set of pacers -- Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh -- one of whom will likely join Bumrah and Siraj in leading the attack.

Agarkar didn’t hide his disappointment at missing out on the services of the owner of 229 wickets in 64 Tests but whose last was in June 2023 against Australia -- the World Test Championship final at The Oval. 

“We were hoping that he’s available for some part of the series at least. It’s very difficult to be waiting to get him fit. It’s rather planned with the guys that are fit and available.

“So it’s unfortunate. A bowler like him will always want to try and pick by himself. At the moment, he’s not fit.”

There is still a glimmer of opportunity. India are scheduled to host West Indies for a two-Test series in October. Should Shami make the cut, his red-ball career could yet have a second wind. If not, the door to Test cricket may begin to quietly close on a player who made pace bowling look like a beautiful art.  

Cut-off box - Indian squad break-up
Batters: Shubman Gill (C) Rishabh Pant (VC & WK) Yashasvi Jaiswal KL Rahul Sai Sudharsan Abhimanyu Easwaran Karun Nair Dhruv Jurel (WK).
Pace bowling all-rounders: Nitish Reddy Shardul Thakur.
Spin-bowling all-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja Washington Sundar.
Pacers: Jasprit Bumrah Mohammed Siraj Prasidh Krishna Akash Deep Arshdeep Singh.
Spinner: Kuldeep Yadav.