Mohammed Shami revs it up on red-ball return

Mohammed Shami has, of late, spent more time trying to prove his red-ball fitness than he has playing red-ball cricket.

Since the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final, his only first-class game was a Ranji Trophy match for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in November last year. It's part of the reason he did not make it to India's Test squad for the tour of England. Nine months on, he's playing his second red-ball game in the Duleep Trophy season opener for East Zone against North Zone at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

Shami, now nearly 35, bowled 17 overs across four spells on the first day of the 2024-25 Duleep Trophy, progressively getting more incisive as the day went on. East Zone had won the toss and opted to bowl under murky skies. He was given the first over, and while he hardly got any movement, his lines were tight. He bowled five overs in his first spell, mostly within himself, and conceded ten runs with two maidens. It was evident that Shami was trying to ease himself back into the red-ball grind, concentrating more on the seam position and his lengths.

Shami bowled his second spell just before the lunch break, a three-over burst pretty similar to his first, where he conceded ten runs. He beat the batters a few times and drew a few false shots, but the Shami sharpness was missing.

That changed after the lunch break. Having found rhythm, there was a marked difference in Shami's run-up and delivery stride. He bowled five overs in his third spell - two of then maidens - and conceded just nine runs. The batters, who were until then playing Shami fairly comfortably, were suddenly getting beaten for pace. There were plenty of plays and misses, inside-edges onto pad, and the occasional false shot. Having found his lengths, Shami's focus was now on upping his speed.

Despite the improvement, Shami did not have a wicket yet. He should have had North Zone's wicketkeeper-batter Kanhaiya Wadhawan caught down the leg side early in his fourth spell, but Kumar Kushagra dropped a relatively straightforward chance behind the stumps. He eventually found success when he had Sahil Lotra caught behind late in the day. It was a nippy length ball well outside off stump that Lotra chased and edged to the wicketkeeper.

Shami bowled the second-most overs among the six bowlers East Zone used on the opening day, only behind left-arm spinner Manishi, who bowled 19. He went through the day without any visible hiccups and will hope to put in more miles on day two. In all, Shami conceded 55 runs in 17 overs for one wicket.

Shami has struggled with fitness ever since injuring his ankle during the 2023 ODI World Cup. He underwent surgery after playing through pain during India's run to the final and then missed all of India's fixtures in 2024 due to his injury, recovery from surgery, and subsequent knee issues.

He was part of India's limited-overs series against England and the Champions Trophy earlier this year, and played nine matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad in a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign. Following that, he was not picked for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar suggesting that Shami's "workload is not where it needs to be."

There is still a month and a bit to go before India's next Test series - at home against West Indies - and Shami will, through the course of the Duleep Trophy, aim to put in the work needed to prove to the selectors that he is ready to get back to Test cricket.