Most bilateral T20I series lack context. Unless it is a World Cup year, such series are just about adding to players’ statistics and the board’s coffers. Not so this one. And the reason is Mohammed Shami. As he returns to bowl for India at the Eden Gardens tonight, all eyes will be on him. Is he fit and ready to lead India’s attack yet again? Can he bowl with the same pace and venom? Are the skill sets the same after 15 months of sitting out? Is the hunger the same and can he reproduce the magic?
While T20 cricket is not always the best index, there is little doubt that we will have a fair idea from how Shami turns up at the Eden Gardens. With the Champions Trophy less than a month away and Jasprit Bumrah recuperating from injury, Shami’s form will have a huge bearing on India’s chances in Dubai.
What his return to white-ball cricket also means is that the debate for Shami in Test cricket will be reignited. Sourav Ganguly has already said that Shami’s presence in England will help Bumrah and vice versa. “Bumrah benefits from Shami and also the other way round,” said Ganguly. “Shami being there in England can make a real difference for India.”
While it is impossible to fathom if he is ready for the rigours of the red-ball game based on some T20I and ODI performances, Shami in the Champions Trophy should give us an idea. And the lead up to all of it starts tonight at the Eden Gardens.
Shami, by every yardstick, is excited. “I have always said that I was born in UP, but made by Bengal,” he said at a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) event on Monday. “Mohammed Shami became what he is today at the Eden Gardens. There can’t be anything better than wearing the blue jersey yet one more time at the Eden Gardens in front of my home fans. As a cricketer, you live for these moments.”
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For someone who has worked the hardest, endured pain and yet not given up, this is a just reward. Now that he is fit to play, all Shami needs to do is concentrate on his game which has made him a brand in India. His presence on the field is his real identity and this injury will only harden him in the long run. With all that has happened in the last couple of months, Shami knows what it feels like to be in a corner with his credibility questioned.
With ball in hand for India, one would expect him to put all his energies into his bowling and prove to Indian cricket fans his commitment to the sport. That he has received widespread support on social media since his name was announced in the squad is primarily due to his performances as an India cricketer in the 2023 World Cup. It is now time for him to do it all over again.
What the events of the last 15 months may have done is harden Shami like never before. He now knows what adversity really means and how life tests an individual. As a sportsman who is often exposed to challenges of varied proportions, the injury is a life lesson that will do Shami the cricketer a world of good. He will now cherish every moment he is out there playing, and that can only benefit India. All the best, Shami. Tonight is about you.
Also Read: Hope, discipline and the hunger to succeed – a magical night at Eden Gardens