(Reuters) – India will not rush Mohammed Shami return to international cricket in the last two tests in Australia unless they are “200% sure” about the seamer’s fitness, captain Rohit Sharma said on Wednesday.
Shami has not played international cricket since the 50-overs World Cup last year because of an ankle injury that needed surgery.
The 34-year-old, an automatic choice as India’s second seamer when fit, has returned to domestic cricket to prove his fitness.
The lack of support for pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in Australia has prompted demands for Shami’s recall but Rohit was cautious about rushing back the bowler, who reported a knee swelling on his comeback trail.
“I understand he’s playing a lot of cricket back home, but there have been some complaints about his knee as well,” Rohit said after India snatched a draw in the rain-blighted third test in Brisbane on Wednesday.
“The last thing you want is the player coming here and then pulling out in the middle of the game. You know what happens when that kind of thing happens.”
He said he would go by the advice of the medics at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) where Shami did his rehabilitation.
“Unless we are not 100% but 200% sure, we’re not going to take any risk… the door is open if those guys at the NCA feel that he is okay to go and recover and play. We’ll be happy to have him.”
Bumrah is currently the leading wicket-taker in the five-test series in Australia but Mohammed Siraj has not been equally impressive as his new ball colleague.
India will take heart from third seamer Akash Deep’s bowling at the Gabba where the right-arm quick claimed three wickets to go with a defiant 31 that helped India avoid follow-on.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Christian Radnedge)
