Jasprit Bumrah hinted at Mohammed Shami’s potential return for the first BGT 2024-25 Test, saying, “If all goes well, he could be here too.”
Team India captain Jasprit Bumrah has hinted that star fast bowler Mohammed Shami might return to the squad during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. The series between India and Australia will be played over five Tests, starting tomorrow (Friday, November 22) in Perth and ending in the first week of January.
Shami has been out of action since the 2023 ODI World Cup due to an ankle injury that needed surgery and recovery. However, the 34-year-old made a fantastic comeback in domestic cricket, taking seven wickets for Bengal in their Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh.
Bumrah, who will lead the team in place of regular captain Rohit Sharma for the first Test, shared updates about the playing XI and Shami’s possible return. Speaking on the eve of the match, Bumrah also showed confidence in the team’s readiness to handle the challenging pitch conditions in Perth.
This will be only Bumrah’s second time captaining India in Tests. His first was during the fifth Test against England at Edgbaston in 2022. Although India had control for most of the match, they lost by seven wickets as England chased down a target of 378.
Bumrah assured fans that the team isn’t carrying the disappointment of past performances, even after a shocking 3-0 home Test series loss to New Zealand. That series was India’s first home defeat in Tests since 2012-13 and their first-ever whitewash in a series of more than two matches.
Despite the recent setback, India can take heart from their strong record against Australia in the last ten years. The team has beaten Australia in four consecutive Test series, including two historic wins in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
