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Shami’s rest for the Indore Test was justified, according to bowling coach Paras Mhambrey
The pace spearhead recovered from a sluggish start on Day 1 of the Ahmedabad Test, but team management must manage its resources wisely in a busy year because Jasprit Bumrah is undergoing surgery.
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On the opening day of the fourth Test match between India and Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Mohammed Shami (right) of India celebrates after taking a wicket.
Mohammad Shami didn’t exactly get off to a fast start in Ahmedabad on Wednesday because he missed the previous Test at Indore due to the Indian team’s rotation policy. Virat Kohli caught his first ball in the slip after it was far off the mark. The fifth ball was even worse because it was so wide that it even passed through the slips and the ropes. There were worries that India was wasting the new ball on a slow wicket in the harsh sun. Sunil Gavaskar stated on air that Shami shouldn’t have been rested for the third Test in Indore. He believed that because there was an 8-day break before the final Test, Shami would have had enough rest and kept his rhythm.
Shami would get better as the day went on. He produced a few impressive spells during which he bowled 17 overs and was the most effective bowler. He succeeded in getting Labuschagne and Handscomb to finish with figures of 2/65 even on an unresponsive. However, there were times early in the day when he appeared rusty and lacked the rhythm he had displayed in the series’ first two Test matches.
Was it wrong for the team management to rest the fit and energetic Shami? This is a conundrum that teams’ think tanks are addressing in these times of hectic schedules and workload management. At the conclusion of Day 1 of the Border-Gavaskar series, India’s bowling coach Paras Mhambrey shared the team’s reasoning for asking India’s pace bowler to cool his heels in the previous Test.
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“We consider each bowler’s workload individually, and Shami has bowled a lot, according to our analysis. We had to allow him that respite. For us, that presents a chance for someone to get a game, such as Siraj or Umesh. The World Test Championship is in charge of overseeing this series. We also need to consider that. Therefore, going forward, I consider it important that everyone has a chance. I don’t see it as a problem at this level because you occasionally need to change bowlers and it’s important for the player as well, he said.
Shami had previously expressed a desire to continue playing at The Indian Express Idea Exchange. No bowler enjoys missing a game if they are in good shape, he had said. Who has the guts, which bowler or batsman possesses the himmat to declare his intention to withdraw? Nobody even wants to relax outside. Naturally, there is a concept known as workload management. I would somewhat concur with it, but occasionally I believe there are some drawbacks as well. I believe that you should continue playing when you are in good form and have a strong rhythm. Of course, there are times when I feel like taking a break is necessary for my recovery. You must handle it carefully.
There may have been another reason for Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma to look away from their star bowler. It’s interesting that the team management decided to use Shami just days after hearing that Jasprit Bumarh would require surgery for his lower-back injury. Wrapping Shami in cotton wool made sense because he assumed the role of the team’s pace spearhead in all formats. India must wisely manage its pace resources with the almost two-month-long IPL, the World T20 final, and the 50-over World Cup coming up later in the year.
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