Is Mohammed Shami Not Completely Fit? India's first practice session ends with a star pacer limping back to the dressing room.
On November 19, 2023, the 34-year-old fast bowler, who finished as the ODI World Cup 2023’s highest wicket-taker, made his final appearance for India.
After successfully returning to domestic cricket for Bengal in November of last year, he was included in India’s T20I squad for the forthcoming five-match series against England, despite missing the entire 2024 season with Men in Blue due to an ankle injury.
Mohammed Shami first practice session
On Sunday, January 19, Shami, who will spearhead India’s speed assault during the home series, was present for the country’s first practice at Eden Gardens. Shami bowled at full throttle for more than an hour and showed encouraging signals, according to a report in the news agency PTI. The elite pacer, however, reportedly seemed a little uneasy and hobbled back to the locker room. But as soon as possible, he was back on the ground, controlling his tightly strapped left knee as he warily interacted with his former Bengal colleagues.
Shami attended the practice session
Under the watchful supervision of bowling coach Morne Morkel, Shami arrived for the practice session wearing heavy strapping on his left knee. The session started with a slow warm-up. Before taking part in a cautious fielding drill to assess his knee, he bowled for over an hour after first jogging in with small steps. The experienced bowler reversed the clock with a lengthy run-up and his signature aggressive spells, bowling to young players like Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma in the nets just as questions were beginning to arise about his complete readiness.
Shami’s rhythm improved with each delivery
With each delivery, Shami’s rhythm got better as he extracted movement and bounce, repeatedly tormenting the batters. But youthful batsman-wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel was able to challenge Shami with some forceful blows, giving the veteran a tough test. Shami bowled at full speed for about forty-five minutes without the help of the team’s strength and conditioning coach or physiotherapist, even though it was a demanding practice.
