India suffered a blow on Monday when pacer Mohammed Shami was ruled out of the final two Test matches of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
Shami has missed the first three matches of the series but was expected to join the Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the Boxing Day Test.
The right-arm pacer has been on the road to recovery and has played a few domestic matches since his right heel surgery, which kept him away from international cricket for months.
“However, his left knee has exhibited minor swelling due to increased joint loading from his bowling workload,” Devajit Saikia of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement on Monday.
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The fans of Team India expected Mohammed Shami to join Bumrah, rated as one of the best fast bowlers of this generation, for the final two games against Australia, but their hopes were dashed on Monday.
Bumrah has stood out for his match-turning performances in Australia but critics have argued that he has lacked support from the other end in Shami’s absence.
“Based on the current medical assessment, the BCCI Medical Team has determined that his (Shami’s) knee requires more time for controlled exposure to bowling loads,” Saikia added.
“Consequently, he has not been deemed fit for consideration for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”
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