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Mohammed Shami returned to First-Class cricket in the Duleep Trophy for East Zone but faced a minor toe injury, taking one wicket in the match.
Mohammed Shami inthe dressing room during Duleep Trophy (PTI)
Mohammed Shami made his return to First-Class cricket for the first time since November 2024, but injury concerns emerged again during the Duleep Trophy quarter-final between East Zone and North Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru.
After the end of the match, East Zone captain came out to clarify Shami’s injury status.
On day one of the clash, Shami initially appeared somewhat out of touch during his first two spells, lacking his typical sharpness, likely due to adjusting his body to the demands of long-form cricket. He managed to beat the bat’s outside edge several times, but North openers Ankit Kumar and Shubham Khajuria handled his spells without much trouble.
Shami’s first spell of the day read 5-2-10-0, and his second was 3-0-10-0, both bowled in the morning session. He was primarily operating in lower gears, assessing the conditions and his physical readiness. However, there was a notable difference in his third spell immediately after lunch (4-2-9-0), where a familiar, quicker Shami emerged, testing the batters’ judgment outside the off-stump. Occasionally, he managed to deliver in-dippers, causing Ayush Badoni and Nishant Sindhu to take a couple of blows on their pads.
The 34-year-old could have claimed his first wicket earlier in his fourth spell (5-0-26-1) if Kumar Kushagra had not dropped Kanhaiya Wadhawan (37) at long-on when he was on 27. Nonetheless, Shami soon found success, dismissing Sahil Lotra, who edged a loose waft outside the off-stump, settling the veteran down. Despite not being threatening with every ball, Shami’s total of 17 overs bowled (1/55) on the day would have been satisfying for him. He navigated spells of varying intensity without much discomfort, potentially encouraging him to push harder in the upcoming days.
That was the only wicket he ended up taking in the entire match. He returned with figures of 100 runs from 23 overs in the first innings.
Shami bowled 11 overs in North Zone’s second innings, staying off the field despite being seen in his whites before the day’s play began. Shami did not bowl in the last session on the third day as well.
Is Shami Injured Again?
East Zone captain Riyan Parag mentioned that Shami had a minor injury scare and was not used as a precaution: “No, I think he rolled over on his toe and the other spike went over his toe, so that’s why he couldn’t bowl.”
It is worth noting that Shami missed the flight to England for the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy due to concerns over his ability to handle long spells in five-day cricket.
Shami’s injury concerns may cast doubts for selectors when considering the squad for the home Test series against the West Indies.
(With inputs from Agencies)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin… Read More
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