Skipper Rohit says 'roadmap has been set' for injured pacer's return to full fitness
BENGALURU: October 19, 2023 was a game changing day for Mohammed Shami. As India grappled with the injury to Hardik Pandya during the 50-over World Cup at home, the pacer, who was until then warming the bench, found himself on the field.
The rest is history as the 34-year-old finished as the leading wicket taker of the World Cup, with 24 wickets from just seven matches. However, an Achilles tendon injury which needed surgery has kept Shami out since then. He wasn't available for the New Zealand series starting on Wednesday. The all-important five-Test away series in Australia is the next target but Shami is unlikely to make it Down Under.
"Right now, it is pretty difficult for us to take a call on him, whether he will be fit for the Australia series," skipper Rohit Sharma said here on Tuesday, adding: "He recently had a setback. While he was in the process of getting close to 100% fit, he experienced swelling in his knee, which was quite unusual. That put him back a little bit in his recovery. So, he had to start afresh."
Shami, who hasn't featured in a Test match since the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June last year, is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Rohit underlined that the team management will not rush Shami back.
"We want him to be 100% fit. We don't want to take an undercooked Shami to Australia. He has not played cricket for a year, and it is quite tough for a fast bowler to come out and be at his best. It is not ideal. So, we want to give him enough time to recover," added Rohit.
Shami will have to prove his match fitness in the Ranji Trophy before returning to international duty. "A roadmap has been set. He is supposed to play a couple of games before (playing) international cricket. We will see where he is at after this New Zealand series, and then take a call, at what stage of Australia he will be fit for us," explained Rohit.
