The Indian team for the two-test series against the West Indies has finally been announced, but yet again, Mohammad Shami has not made the list. This absence raises speculation that his duration with the Indian test squad might be nearing its end. The West Indies team is set to visit India next month in October for two test matches.
Mohammad Shami, at 35, last represented India in test cricket during the World Test Championship final (WTC final, The Oval) against Australia in June 2023. With a record of 229 wickets in 64 test matches, Shami has since struggled to reclaim his spot in the Indian team's fast-bowling lineup.
Why was Shami dropped from the test team? Is his recurring injury the reason?
During the England tour, pace bowlers like Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Jasprit Bumrah were at the forefront. Arshdeep Singh also joined the tour, and Anshul Kamboj got the opportunity to debut. Harshit Rana accompanied them as a backup player. This indicates that India is nurturing a pool of young fast bowlers. As Shami is now 35, by the end of the current WTC cycle (2025-27), he will be 37. Additionally, Shami’s recent First-Class cricket performance hasn’t been particularly remarkable.
It’s noteworthy that during the ODI World Cup 2023, Shami created waves by taking 24 wickets in seven matches. However, in February 2024, he underwent surgery for his heel. Since then, he's been missing from the Indian team for a significant duration. Although he regained fitness, he wasn't given a chance to play Test matches. His last appearance was in the Champions Trophy for India in the One Day Internationals.
Agarkar explained why Shami wasn't selected
Inquiring about Shami's exclusion from the West Indies series, the selection committee chairman, Ajit Agarkar, stated there isn’t any new update concerning Shami. However, he acknowledged that Shami hasn't played much cricket recently and emphasized his need to participate in more matches.
Who missed out on the opportunities?
Karun Nair was shown the exit from the team, whereas Devdutt Padikkal and N. Jagadeesan have found their places. Sarfaraz Khan and Manav Suthar were overlooked by the selectors. For this series, Ravindra Jadeja has been appointed vice-captain, succeeding Rishabh Pant due to injury. The first test against the West Indies will commence on October 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, followed by the second test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on October 10. Notably, Abhimanyu Easwaran, who didn’t play any tests during the England tour, is also excluded from the team.
The 15-member squad for the West Indies series includes:
Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja (Vice-Captain), Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, N.Jagadeesan (Wicketkeeper), Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav.
