A few days before Bengal’s Ranji Trophy game against Madhya Pradesh, there was a sense of excitement among fans, as Mohammed Shami was all set to make his much-awaited return from a serious ankle injury, which had kept him away from competitive cricket for almost a year. Incidentally, Shami has had problems during his recovery period, which included a swollen knee, alongside reports of him being laid low by a side strain.
From that perspective, it was heartening to notice that Shami is back in action. So, how did he go about bowling in his comeback game? Just scroll through a couple of video clips, and it was quite evident during his short spell on day 1 that Shami was looking to work his way back into rhythm. The strides weren’t confident, and it didn’t seem as if the fast bowler was attacking the crease. Basically, he was just testing out his ankle. However, the encouraging sign was that Shami went on to bowl around 15 overs on day 2 and also bagged four scalps.
The focus isn’t just on Shami walking through the lines of pain and agony and returning to competitive cricket. The larger picture is about whether India can add Shami to the Test squad for their ongoing tour of Australia.
For starters, at 34, he isn’t getting any younger. As an athlete gets older, it is relatively tougher to come through the rehabilitation process and make a complete recovery. It also has to be remembered that the deep footholes and sand-based outfields in Australia can turn out to be a litmus test for a fast bowler.
On their part, the Indian backroom staff have taken the right steps by not rushing Shami back into action. This is what the India skipper Rohit Sharma had to say about Shami’s injury before the New Zealand Test series. “He recently had swelling on his knee, which was quite unusual,” Rohit told reporters. “He was in the process of getting fit, getting close to 100 per cent, he had swelling in his knee, that put him back a little bit in his recovery. So, he had to start again. Right now, he’s at NCA, he’s working with the physios and the doctors at NCA.”
Shami himself had observed during a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) event: “I want to ensure there is no discomfort when I return. I’ve to work on my fitness, so that there is no discomfort. The stronger I return, the better it is for me. I don’t want to rush and risk getting injured again, be it against Bangladesh, New Zealand or the Australia series. I’ve already started bowling, but I won’t take any chances until I am 100% fit.”
It is a testament to Shami’s deep reservoirs of willpower that he took injections and played in the 2023 World Cup, finishing the tournament with a rich haul of 24 wickets at an astounding average of 10.76. His unrelenting determination also gives hope that he would make a successful international comeback. Only time will tell whether that will happen.