Haren
Mohammed Shami returned four wickets in his first innings on Ranji Trophy comeback with Bengal against Madhya Pradesh at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Thursday.
The 34-year-old India pacer who went wicket-less across 10 overs on the first day the previous evening, dented Madhya Pradesh with four wickets in the first session on Day 2 to help Bengal secure a 61-run first-innings lead over the hosts.
Shami first cleaned up MP captain Shubham Sharma for eight before returning to wipe off the tail. In his 18th over Shami castled all-rounder Saransh Jain before removing Kumar Kartikeya and Khulwant Khejroliya off successive deliveries in his next. The veteran seamer finished as Bengal’s best bowler, with figures of 19-4-54-4.
Mohammed Shami Bowling vs MP in the #RanjiTrophy.
Video – @mp_score_update and Saurajit Chatterjee pic.twitter.com/4kU1Rxlcj6
— CricDomestic (@CricDomestic_) November 13, 2024
Shami appeared ginger while ambling in to bowl in vidoes circulating on social media from the first day’s play. While he did not operate in full-tilt, Shami was seen beating the edge consistently of MP batters, including Rajat Patidar. Opening the bowling with his brother Mohammed Kaif for company, Shami bowled two separate spells in the evening after Bengal were bowled out for 228 after being sent into bat. It is the first time that the brothers will be playing together at the senior level.
Shami is playing his first Ranji Trophy match for Bengal since November 2018, when he featured in a one-off game against Kerala before embarking on a Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour to Australia then. Shami had picked up 16 wickets in the 2018-19 series as India claimed a historic 2-1 win Down Under.
Should he attain full-fitness, Shami is marked for a return in the second-leg of the Border Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia, which begins in Perth on November 22.
