'He will be joining the Indian team after second Test' - Mohammed Shami's childhood coach reveals BGT plans for ace pacer

Cricketer Mohammed Shami's childhood coach Mohammed Badruddin spilled the beans on the ace pacer's much-awaited India comeback. Badruddin said that the Bengal pacer would be travelling to Australia to join the Indian team after the second Border-Gavaskar Test in Adelaide.

Shami returned to competitive cricket earlier this week after being sidelined due to an ankle injury for almost a year. The 34-year-old pacer is currently playing the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 clash between Bengal and Madhya Pradesh in Indore. His last appearance for the Men in Blue was in the finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup on November 19 in Ahmedabad.

India are set to begin their Border-Gavaskar Trophy defence later this month as they have five Test matches lined up against the reigning WTC champions, Australia. The first Test begins on November 22 in Perth. Meanwhile, the second Test in Adelaide, which is supposed to be a day-night encounter, gets underway on December 6. Shami wasn't picked in the 18-man squad for the high-octane series, but according to his childhood coach, the right-arm seamer is in line to play the third Test in Brisbane, starting December 14.

“He will be joining the Indian team after the Adelaide (second) Test. Now that he is back, proved his fitness, picked up wickets, he will be crucial for the team in the second half of the tour,” Badruddin was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

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Shami contributes with bat after first innings four-for

Shami finished with excellent figures of 4/54 in the first innings against Madhya Pradesh after bowling 19 overs at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. His solid performance helped Bengal take a crucial 61-run lead in the first innings. In Bengal's second innings, Shami, who has two half-centuries in Test cricket, decided to show his prowess with the bat.

The Amroha-born came out to bat at No. 10 in the first session on Day 3. He smashed two fours and two sixes to score 37 off 36 balls, adding some crucial runs with his younger brother Mohammed Kaif for the last wicket. The tourists were bowled out for 276 as Madhya Pradesh need 338 to win in the fourth innings.