Team India has been given a massive blow as senior fast bowler Mohammed Shami has been ruled out from the upcoming 2-Test series in South Africa.
While the Test match batch of Indian players, including captain Rohit Sharma, flew for Johannesburg on Friday (December 15), the 33-year-old senior pacer was not part of the contingent that boarded the flight. And now Shami has been officially ruled out.
This is a big blow to the hopes of Team India and its fans of a maiden Test series win in South Africa, who are weakened by the absence of the injured Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje is also unlikely to play in the Test series.
Why is Mohammed Shami ruled out of the Test series vs South Africa?
Mohammed Shami suffered an ankle injury during the World Cup. While he played the World Cup with the injury and its pain, he is not cleared of fitness for the Test series in South Africa.
The BCCI said: “Mr Mohd Shami, whose participation in the Test series was subject to fitness has not been cleared by the BCCI Medical Team and the fast bowler is ruled out of the two Tests.”
Shami is the most experienced pacer in this Indian team. He has picked 229 Test wickets in 64 Tests.
He was India’s leading wicket-taker in their last Test series in South Africa, in 2021/22, scooping 14 wickets in 3 Tests at an average of 21. India lost that series by 2-1, losing the last two Tests after winning the first one.
The BCCI has not yet named the replacement player for Mohammed Shami. Currently, in the squad India have five pacers – Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna.
If all of them remain fit, then India’s bowling attack could likely look this this in the first Test in Centurion: Bumrah, Siraj, Prasidh, Jadeja, and Ashwin to be competing with Shardul for the number 8 slot.
Before the Test series, the Indian players will be involved in a intra-squad red-ball practice match.