Day I feel comfortable bowling 20-30 overs... I'll run to play a match: Shami

Indian paceman Mohammed Shami is “100 percent” pain-free and wants to play a couple of domestic matches before the big tour of Australia, starting on November 22 in Perth. The right-armer underwent bowling and fielding drills at the end of the first Test between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru on October 20.

It is believed that Shami bowled for about an hour as he looks to return to action after sustaining an ankle injury that has kept him out of action since the end of the ODI World Cup last year. Shami started bowling at 2.30 PM with a heavily strapped left knee and directed the deliveries towards India's assistant coach Abhishek Nayar without much discomfort. He eventually called it a day at around 3.50 PM.

"It felt great yesterday because I had been bowling with half a run-up on and off since I can't put too much stress on my body. Yesterday, we decided that I would bowl properly, and I gave my 100%. It felt great, (and) the results are good. Hopefully, I'll be back on track soon,” he said during an event organised by Eugenix Hair Sciences in Gurugram, reported ESPNcricinfo.

"The Australia series is still far away. The only thing I want to focus on is how to keep myself fit, and how strong I can be before going there. I know what kind of an attack we want for that Test series, so it's better I spend some more time on the ground before going. If I get fit and I get a gap of eight to ten days, then it's better I play one or two domestic matches before going to Australia.

"I don't know when I can play next, but the day I feel comfortable about bowling 20-30 overs and I get the nod from the doctors, I'll run to play a match. I want to spend as much time as I can on the ground before going for the Australia series."

In domestic cricket, Shami plays for Bengal, who will take on Kerala in the third round of the Ranji Trophy, starting on October 26. Bengal will then play Karnataka (November 6-9) and Madhya Pradesh (November 13-16) in the next two rounds. 

India are also scheduled to play a three-day inter-squad warm-up game before the first Test against Australia in Perth. Shami also has an option of playing in the two-match red-ball series between India A and Australia A, starting on October 31 in Mackay.

Shami hasn’t played any competitive cricket since the 2023 ODI World Cup final and recently suffered another setback when he developed a swelling on his knee. The 34-year-old, however, is not getting frustrated. "Don't get frustrated and focus as much as you can on fitness and game,” he said.

"It's very difficult to come back on track after an injury so patience is the biggest thing. Injuries teach you patience and that makes your skill purer. Fitness is the main thing (you have to focus on in recovery). You shouldn't doubt your skill and talent when you're away because certain things are built in you. I agree you need something like rhythm but your skill will never leave you. It's your fitness you have to fight for."

Lastly, talking about India’s formidable pace unit, Shami said: "We have worked as a unit since 2014. Indiaa never had three bowlers at a time who could bowl over 140kph. Maybe two at max. Now we even have some on the bench who can bowl 145kph.

“Every opponent waits for one easy kind of bowler, but that's how you create fear that all our bowlers are 145kph and have different kind of skills. And we showed how to fight when we toured overseas. Earlier we used to be on the safe side or our pace attack wasn't that aggressive. This generation knows how to pay it back."

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