India vs Australia 2017: Mohammad Shami and Shreyas Iyer included in the Indian squad for the final Test
Indian pacer Mohammad Shami has been added to the Indian squad for the fourth and final Test match against Australia at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala. Shami, who was out of action (due to a knee injury) since the third Test against England in Mohali, has been asked to join the team in Dharamsala right after the end of the third Test and the BCCI confirmed his addition to the team moments earlier. Alongside Shami, Shreyas Iyer, who was called in as a cover for Indian skipper Virat Kohli, is also officially included in the Indian squad.
NEWS ALERT - Mohammed Shami & Shreyas Iyer included in the Indian team for Dharamsala Test against Australia #TeamIndia #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/U5BJbyo1S3
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 24, 2017
There were few uncertainties over Kohli's fitness ahead of the Test match and the skipper himself revealed that he won’t take the field if he fails the fitness Test. This might be an indication that Kohli might not play the Test and if the reports are to be believed, both Shami and Iyer will be a part of the playing XI of the final Test.
“If I am 100% fit for the game, it is the only condition when I will take the field. If I go through the fitness test, then I will take the field,” Kohli said earlier today.
Kohli added that the physiotherapist wanted to give more time before making a decision and added that the call could be made tonight or tomorrow morning, before the start of the game. If Kohli is ruled out, Ajinkya Rahane will take over as the captain for the series decider.
Extra cover: Virat Kohli says he will play in Dharamshala Test only if he is 100% fit
After the third Test in Ranchi, Kohli admitted that the team management will be calling Shami to join them ahead of the final Test but the selectors didn’t make an official call about Shami’s inclusion. Last night, there were reports that Shami is ruled out of the fourth Test as he has not yet recovered from his injury and is still undergoing treatment under physio Patrick Farhart. With the wickets set to assist the pacers, Shami’s inclusion won’t come as a surprise to the fans.
Extra cover: India's predicted XI for the final Test in Dharamsala