Mohammed Shami made an eagerly awaited return to competitive cricket on Wednesday (November 13) for the first time since playing for India against Australia in the final of the ODI World Cup 2023.
Representing Bengal, Shami bowled 10 overs for Bengal on day 1 of their Group C (Elite) clash against Madhya Pradesh at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. All eyes were peeled on Shami after Bengal got bundled out for just 228 batting first.
Watch Mohammed Shami’s spell for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh:
Shami bowled four overs in his first spell and conceded 16 runs. He came back to deliver six more before the end of day’s play and conceded 18 runs while managing to record a maiden in the process. The right-arm speedster has not been named in India’s squad for the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy but an impressive outing in the Ranji Trophy can help him earn a ticket to Australia.
Shami, 34, is one of the most experienced pacers in India at the moment. The Bengal fast bowler has played eight Test matches in Australia and claimed 31 wickets at an average of 32.16, including two five-wicket hauls.
Overall, the Amroha-born has snared 229 wickets in 64 Tests for India at an average of 27.71. He has picked up six five-fors in his Test career thus far. His last red-ball game for India was the summit clash of the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle at The Oval in London in June 2023.
India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy:
Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed
