In one of the best comebacks in cricket after injury, Mohammed Shami pulled out a match-winning performance for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy against Madhya Pradesh. Facing the biggest challenge of his life, Shami’s all-around brilliance played a pivotal role in Bengal’s exciting 11-run victory—a first-ever over Madhya Pradesh in 15 years. His stunning performance has set Shami firmly in the Indian team for the Border-Gavaskar series, scheduled in Australia.
Shami had put in the match. Shami bowled in both innings of 43.2 overs and took 7 wickets and had taken some very important wickets in the second innings. He had also come on the final day himself and his spells got Kumar Karthikeya to fall for 102 off 24.2 overs which took the victory closer to Bengal. Aside from that bowling, Shami managed to score 36 runs with the bat, as well which justified his all-round skills.
Mohammed Shami’s comeback in the Ranji Trophy shows good signs before BGT
The victory of Bengal was even more special because of the context of the match. Madhya Pradesh had set a target of 338 runs; by the last day, they needed 188 runs with seven wickets in hand. Shami’s early breakthrough on the third ball of the day, removing Rajat Patidar, was quite crucial for lifting the morale of Bengal. Spinner Shahbaz Ahmed was also instrumental too as he picked 4 wickets for just 48 runs and added 92 runs with his bat as Bengal successfully bowled out Madhya Pradesh for 326.
It was a big win for Bengal, who had the likes of Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, and Abhimanyu Easwaran sitting out with injury. Shami’s return provided Bengal with the much-needed depth and sharpness to their bowling attack. His 19 overs in the first innings and 24.2 in the second innings put Madhya Pradesh under pressure from start to finish.
Bengal earned 6 points from the victory, which placed them third in the points table with a total of 14 points, one position behind Haryana (20 points) and second subcontinent, Kerala (18 points). Victory has brought some smiles for Bengal who had to share points in two home matches against bad weather.
He was at the match with the national selector Ajay Ratra. Surely, Shami’s effort will stand him in good stead for a Test place when India travels to Australia for the forthcoming Test series. His solid comeback along with leadership and match-winning contributions have made him a strong contender for the Australia tour.
Madhya Pradesh pushed hard for their cause, which included crucial middle-order partnerships by skipper Shubham Sharma (61) and Venkatesh Iyer (55), albeit briefly keeping them in this game. The breakthrough from Shahbaz and Shami’s final dismissal of Karthikeya ensured Bengal’s victory and capped an individual performance like no other from Shami.
More Ranji matches Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka shared the spoils, Uttar Pradesh finishing without a point after Karnataka got 3 points because of a first-innings lead. In the match between Kerala and Haryana in Lahli, Kerala took 3 points on the basis of a first-innings lead, while Haryana managed only 1 point on that basis.
Mohammed Shami’s all-round display that helped Bengal win the match has sealed his place in the India camp for the series in Australia, as his all-round virtues continue to make an impact on the domestic scene.
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