Mohammed Shami's absence will be a major miss for India in BGT 2024-25: Paul Adams

Former South Africa spinner Paul Adams explained why Mohammed Shami's absence could hurt India as they look to defend the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia.

Shami's last appearance for India was in the finals of the ODI World Cup 2023 on November 19 in Ahmedabad. The 34-year-old pacer had been ruled out of action due to an ankle injury but he made his comeback to competitive cricket during the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 fixture between Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, which got underway on Wednesday, November 13.

Last month, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a massive 18-man squad for the five-match Test tour of Australia. However, there was no place for Shami in the line-up. Adams feels that Shami's absence is a huge blow for Rohit Sharma's men on the pacy and bouncy tracks in Australia. The former cricketer also praised the Bengal pacer for his scintillating performance in the ODI World Cup last year, where he finished as the highest wicket-taker.

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“I think he (Mohammad Shami) will be a major miss for India against Australia eyeing the conditions. The pace and bouncy wickets in Australia would have helped India in gaining an upper hand if Shami had been in the squad, but that’s not in the selector’s hands as he is recovering, but I think he will be missed," Paul Adams said in a media interaction.

"We all saw what he did in the ODI World Cup 2023. He single-handedly carried the Indian pace attack, and he is someone who has the ability to extract from any pitches around the world despite the conditions. The seam position and the length are just extraordinary," he added.

Pressure will be on Jasprit Bumrah: Mohammed Shami

Adams said that India's premier speedster Jasprit Bumrah and the other pacers in the side will be under pressure. However, the 47-year-old backed the all-rounders to play an important role, especially earmarking Ravindra Jadeja.

"We all saw what he did in the ODI World Cup 2023. He single-handedly carried the Indian pace attack, and he is someone who has the ability to extract from any pitches around the world despite the conditions. The seam position and the length are just extraordinary. The pressure will be on vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah and other pacers, but I believe it will be all-rounders who will play a huge role for India, especially Ravindra Jadeja," Adams said.