File image by Mohammed Shami.© X (Twitter)
India pacer Mohammed Shami made a memorable comeback to the Ranji Trophy, taking four wickets to give Bengal a first-innings lead against Madhya Pradesh at the Holkar Stadium. On Thursday, the 34-year-old seamer played in his first Ranji Trophy match since 2018 and showed class and experience, finishing as Bengal’s standout bowler with figures of 4-54 from 19 overs. After going wicketless on the opening day, Shami came back with a vengeance on the second day. He struck early, dismissing MP captain Shubham Sharma for just eight runs with a trademark delivery that rattled the stumps.
Shami’s ability to break partnerships and obliterate lower classes was on full display when he returned later to sort things out. In a devastating spell, he bowled Saransh Jain and dismissed Kumar Kartikeya and Khulwant Khejroliya in successive deliveries to embarrass the hosts.
The veteran pacer’s performance helped Bengal secure a crucial 61-run lead after the first innings and set the tone for the campaign. Despite not bowling at maximum pace, Shami continued to trouble the MP batsmen, hitting key batsman Rajat Patidar’s edge several times.
He was seen bowling with his older brother Mohammed Kaif. Shami’s appearance in this Ranji Trophy match comes after a gap of five years. His last match for Bengal was a one-off against Kerala in November 2018, shortly before India’s historic 2-1 Test series win in Australia. During the Border-Gavaskar series, Shami was a significant contributor, picking up 16 wickets.
With Shami expected to return to peak fitness, his strong Ranji form could pave the way for a recall to the Indian squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia starting November 22 in Perth.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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