The veteran Indian fast bowler, Mohammed Shami will be not be taking part in the remaining matches of India’s tour of Australia as he has suffered a fracture on his right forearm during the Adelaide Test. The BCCI is yet to announce the replacement but possible replacements are Kartik Tyagi, T Natarajan, and Shardul Thakur. Incidentally, neither of these three fast men were part of the original Test squad. Both Natarajan and Thakur stayed back as the net bowlers.
Shami sustained the injury while fending awkwardly at a short delivery from Pat Cummins on Saturday and after that, he didn’t return to bowl either in the fourth innings. During the post-match presentation, the Indian skipper, Virat Kohli said Shami was in “pain” and could not even raise his bowling hand. In addition to Shami’s absence, India will be also be missing the services of Kohli, who will miss the rest of the series as he returns home on paternity leave.
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The Indian team management has a difficult choice to make on who should replace Shami in the Test squad. Thakur is the most experienced seamer among the reserves as he has sclaped 206 wickets at an average of 28.55 in first-class cricket. On the other hand, Natarajan has limited experience having picked up 64 wickets in 20 matches at 27.03.
Shami’s injury might also force the selectors and the team management to rethink their decision of excluding Ishant Sharma from the Test squad despite him being declared fit by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in November.
Sharma, who picked up an injury during the IPL while playing for the Delhi Capitals, went to the NCA in Bengaluru in September and was ruled fit around November 19. However, in its assessment report to the BCCI and team management, the NCA noted that Sharma would need to build on his bowling workload in order to get fit completely for the Test series.
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On November 26, the BCCI said although Ishant Sharma has recovered completely from the side strain he sustained during the IPL, he “is building up his workload in order to achieve Test-match fitness” and he was “ruled out” of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
