"Felt great yesterday" - Mohammed Shami on bowling at Chinnaswamy Stadium after IND vs NZ 2024 1st Test
Team India pacer Mohammed Shami remains optimistic about returning soon to the international arena. He was spotted bowling to assistant coach Abhishek Nayar at the Chinnaswamy Stadium after India's Bengaluru Test against New Zealand.
The 34-year-old has not played a competitive game since the 2023 World Cup final against Australia last November due to an ankle injury. However, he bowled at almost full tilt for 45 minutes on one of the main pitches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday, October 20. His match fitness is yet to be determined.
Speaking on the sidelines of an event organised by Eugenix Hair Sciences in Gurugram, Shami said patience is critical when marking a return from an injury and that it felt great to be bowling on Sunday. As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, he said:
"It felt great yesterday because I had been bowling with half a run-up on and off since I can't put too much stress on my body. Yesterday, we decided that I would bowl properly, and I gave my 100%. It felt great, [and] the results are good. Hopefully, I'll be back on track soon. It's very difficult to come back on track after an injury so patience is the biggest thing. Injuries teach you patience and that makes your skill purer."
With Shami's availability for the upcoming five-Test series down under a massive question at this stage, it's worth noting that he has been among the first-choice bowlers in the XI in the longest format. In 64 Tests, he has picked up 229 wickets at 27.71.
"I want to spend as much time as I can on the ground before going for the Australia series" - Mohammed Shami
Shami also revealed targeting a couple of domestic matches to prepare for the Test series in Australia and added:
"The Australia series is still far away. The only thing I want to focus on is how to keep myself fit, and how strong I can be before going there. I know what kind of an attack we want for that Test series, so it's better I spend some more time on the ground before going. If I get fit and I get a gap of eight to ten days, then it's better I play one or two domestic matches before going to Australia. I want to spend as much time as I can on the ground before going for the Australia series."
India's Test series against Australia begins on November 22 in Perth.