India's pace maestro Mohammed Shami finally made his international comeback after staying away from cricket for over 400 days due to injury. The veteran India pacer had been sidelined due to ankle surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process. The national selection committee included him in the squad for the five-match T20I series against England, but the team management opted to rest him for the first two games in Kolkata and Chennai.
Mohammed Shami didn’t look in his usual rhythm: Piyush Chawla
Shami was finally included in the playing XI in the third T20I against England in Rajkot, replacing Arshdeep Singh. However, his performance was below par. His pace was noticeably down, and even his bowling action lacked the usual energy. Shami conceded 25 runs in his spell of three overs and remained wicketless. Meanwhile, former India spinner Piyush Chawla while dissecting Shami's performance, expressed confidence that the speedster would gradually improve in the coming days as he regains full match fitness.
“When you make a comeback to international cricket after so long, you have butterflies in your stomach. No matter, how much you’ve played in the past when you come back to the team after a long gap of 436 days, there were some nerves there. He didn’t look in his usual rhythm, every player takes 1-2 matches. The good thing is that he played a game and bowled three overs and the way he ended his spell. I feel the more he plays, the better he will get,” said Chawla Star Sports.
Meanwhile, former India's star batter Ambati Rayudu also seconded Chawla's take on Shami and said that it takes time when a player goes through an injury and makes a comeback. Rayudu feels Shami, who was India's leading wicket taker in the ODI World Cup 2023, will pick up his rhythm after a couple of games.
“I think his rhythm builds when he runs well during his run-up and comes to the crease at good speed. Today, I couldn’t see that much. Having confidence about your body is extremely crucial for a player after injury. Players who’ve gone through injury will tell you that it takes time after returning. The body remains in good shape but the confidence in one’s body to put in the extra efforts comes with time. Hence, I feel Shami will pick up his rhythm after a couple of games,” Rayudu stated.
Talking about the match, England rode on Ben Duckett's brilliant fifty to post a challenging total of 171/9 despite Varun Chakravarthy's fiery fifer. In reply, Indian batters failed to stand the test of time and were bundled out for 145/9, handing a 26-run win to Jos Buttler's England in the third T20I. India and England will yet again lock horns with each other in the fourth T20I slated to be played on January 31