Mohammed Shami had just the kind of game he was looking for on comeback after a year. He bowled a fair amount of overs, took wickets in both innings and also scored runs for Bengal in their Ranji Trophy clash against Madhya Pradesh in Indore.
A win for Bengal on Saturday made Shami’s comeback all the more perfect. Besides, the last MP wicket to fall — that of Kumar Kartikeya — was also taken by Shami (his third in the innings and seventh in the match) to confirm crucial six points for Bengal, keeping their Ranji knockout hopes alive.
After 4/54 in the first innings, Shami’s figures in the second read 3/102 while Shahbaz Ahmed took 4/48 with his left-arm spin as MP, chasing 338, were all out for 326 in what was truly a nail-biting contest.
After sending down 19 overs in the first innings, Shami bowled 24.2 overs in the second. Bowling 43.2 overs across both innings in his first competitive appearance after a year is not at all a mean feat from a fast bowler’s perspective. Though a few in the BCCI feel Shami may have over-bowled a little bit since this was his first outing
after a long period, Bengal captain Anustup Majumdar views it differently.
“That Shami has bowled so many overs only goes on to underline his fitness. In terms of fitness, there shouldn’t be any complaints. He has spent time on the field with the bat too, scoring those 37 runs (in Bengal’s second essay),” Anustup told The Telegraph.
According to BCCI sources, Board medical team head Nitin Patel had prescribed short spells of three to four overs for Shami in this game. On Saturday, he bowled 13.2 overs in four spells with two scalps.
Shami was learnt to have left for Bengaluru late on Saturday evening as his condition will again be monitored by Patel and the other National Cricket Academy physios. He, however, is quite keen on playing a few matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, which begins next Saturday, before getting the green light for the Australia tour.
“Shami wants to bowl. So we expect him to be there for at least our first two games of the tournament,” a Bengal team source said.
Brief scores: Bengal 221 & 276. MP 167 & 326 (Shubham Sharma 61, Venkatesh Iyer 53; Shahbaz Ahmed 4/48, Mohammed Shami 3/102). Bengal won by 11 runs.
