By Jon Pierik
The news
Australia’s hopes of regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade have been given a major boost with India’s surprise decision to overlook veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami for the five-Test series beginning next month.
Shami, who was a key player in India’s victory on Australian shores in 2018-19, with 16 wickets across the four Tests, was a bold omission, prompting former Australian seamer Damien Fleming to declare his absence “significantly damages” India’s hopes. Rohit Sharma’s squad will also be without injured left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
Overlooked: Mohammed Shami will not be a part of India’s blue chip tour of Australia this summer.Credit: AP
The tourists, who have been put to the sword by New Zealand in their current Test series at home, are likely to plump for Akash Deep as their third quick, behind Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Off-spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar, and left-arm finger spinner Ravindra Jadeja, will lead the slow bowling in the 18-man squad. The series begins in Perth on November 22.
Fleming said he was surprised that Shami – one of only 11 Indians with 200 or more Test wickets – had been overlooked.
“That decision significantly damages their chances of winning out here,” Fleming said on Saturday. “I would have just brought him here even if he’s not fit until the third Test.”
How did we get here
Shami, 34, indicated last week he was over an ankle injury and would be fit for the trip after time with Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, having not played for India since the 2023 one-day World Cup. He has also been seen working on his fitness during intervals in the ongoing Test series against the Kiwis.
“Hopefully, I’ll be back on track soon. I know what kind of an attack we want for that Test series [against Australia], so it’s better I spend some more time on the ground before going,” Shami told Indian media.
However, the selectors felt he wasn’t ready, and have even named three fast bowlers as their reserve players for the series.
Kuldeep will miss the Test series due to a chronic left groin issue, and will seek more treatment.
“Kuldeep Yadav ... has been referred to the BCCI Centre of Excellence after the end of the ongoing Test series against New Zealand for long-term resolution of his chronic left groin issue,” the BCCI said in a statement.
What does this mean for Australia
While he managed only the one Test here in 2020-21, when injured during the Adelaide Test, Shami remains one of the world’s premier seamers, with 229 wickets at 27.71. He has 44 wickets at 32.09 against Australia, including 31 at 32.16 in eight Tests on Australian soil. His ability to extract traditional and reverse swing, and metronomic accuracy, has made him a fine double act with the unconventional Bumrah.
While Shami does not have a ticket, Australian great Steve Waugh last month told Indian media Bumrah is good enough to lead his team to a series victory.
“The India-Australia series will be very close with two very good sides. India have got a really good chance to do well in Australia because they have got a very good bowling attack. Anyone with Bumrah in the attack is beating any other team in the world,” Waugh said.
“So, with India and Australia being a world-class team, I think it is going to be the best series for a long, long time. Both teams are going to be confident to win, so it is going to be great to watch.”
While India have held the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since 2014-15, Australia thumped India by 209 runs in the world Test championship final at the Oval last year, Shami taking four wickets for the match.
That Australia is in a state of flux on who should be Usman Khawaja’s opening partner means Shami’s absence potentially eases the pressure on the new face at the top of the order, where the Australians have struggled against India in the past two series here.
Any other selection quirks?
Sharma is reportedly likely to miss one of the first two Tests for personal reasons, meaning the uncapped Abhimanyu Easwaran, 29, could make his Test debut. Fast bowler Harshit Rana and allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy are also uncapped squad members.
How are India tracking?
Not well, going on what is unfolding in India, where New Zealand have the home team facing their first series loss at home in 12 years.
After the Black Caps enjoyed a historic victory in the first Test in Bengaluru, they resumed in a strong position in the second Test in Pune on Saturday, a potential win giving them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. A series loss would be India’s first at home since Alastair Cook’s England claimed a famous 2-1 triumph in December 2012.
On the wane: Virat Kohli is no longer the force he once was.Credit: AP
India’s woes have been highlighted by the struggles of Virat Kohli, the one-time master batsman dismissed for one on Friday in stunning circumstances when, having attempted to slap a full toss from spinner Mitchell Santner across the line, Kohli missed the ball’s trajectory, and it crashed into the stumps.
If there is a message here for Australia, it’s this. Kohli, 35, has been dismissed 21 times in 26 innings against spinners in Asia over the past three years. Ten dismissals have been to left-arm orthodox bowlers, against whom he averages a modest 27.10.
Overall in Test cricket this year, Kohli has just 228 runs in nine innings at an average of 28.50 with just one half century. Since 2020, he has averaged a modest 33.01, while his Test average has slipped from 54.97 in 2019 to 48.74, as of Saturday.
What about Australia?
The national selectors, led by chairman George Bailey, are still debating the make-up of their side. An Australia A series against India A beginning this week in Mackay, before shifting to Melbourne, will help shape the Test squad, particularly with Cameron Bancroft, Sam Konstas, Marcus Harris and Nathan McSweeney jostling for inclusion.
Batter Sam Konstas.Credit: Getty Images
India’s squad:
Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar
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