“I think to be able to take 20 wickets…”Ricky Ponting talks about the Shami factor that India is going to miss

It is unfortunate that the Indian cricket team appears all set to lose the services of one of their key bowlers and leading pacers, Mohammed Shami in the coming 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Fitness issues have plagued Shami who has not played any competitive match since November 2023. therefore he was also missed in India’s 18-man squad which is to tour Australia for the five-Test series.

In light of Shami’s absence, Jasprit Bumrah will be the spearhead of the Indian pace attack and will be supported by Mohammed Siraj Prasidh Krishna Harshit Rana and Akash Deep. While Siraj and Bumrah have prior experience of playing in Australia, Prasidh, Harshit and Akash will be playing the Australians for the first time in their careers.

In a past episode of The ICC Review addressing the upcoming India-Australia Test series, Ricky Ponting said that the absence of Shami will be a disadvantage to India and that the Indian bowlers will find it difficult to make them lose 20 wickets in a Test match with the Baggy Greens.

“Probably more so now (than before),” Ponting said when discussing Australia’s possibilities of defeating India. “(Mohammed) Shami just leaves such a big hole in that bowling group. “Back then (in August), there was still some conjecture whether Shami will be fit or not.’

“I think to be able to take 20 wickets in a Test match would surely pose great difficulty in this case for India,” he said. “I think they’ll bat well enough out here of the current group of batters that they’ve got, ” he further added.

Shami, who has taken 229 Test wickets in 64 Tests, has represented India in 12 Tests against Australia after his debut in November 2013 and has taken 44 wickets. He has also been part of the Indian team tour to Australia thrice and has played 8 matches over there taking 31 wickets.

After Shami was omitted from India’s Test series squad, it was said that he would be an addition to the squad if he could play any Ranji Trophy matches for Bengal and prove his fitness. However, he was not added to the team’s squad for the subsequent two games versus Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, effectively putting an end to his prospects of playing in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.