Mohammed Shami may return to playing XI for 4th Test vs Australia, rank turner unlikely: Report

India’s senior-most pacer Mohammed Shami is expected to make it to the playing XI for the final Test against Australia in Ahmedabad, starting March 9, after being rested for workload management during the Indore match. The Indian team management, in consultation with the medical staff, has taken the decision to exclude the fast bowlers, who are going to play IPL regularly and are part of the ODI World Cup plans. Hence, Shami, who played the first two Tests and is also part of the ODI squad, was rested for the third game. He was replaced by Umesh Yadav as the second fast bowler behind Mohammad Siraj.

Siraj, who required only 24 overs in the first three matches and is likely to feature in all the three ODIs between March 17 and 22, is likely to get some time during the final game at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera.

Shami, who has been the best pacer in both the teams with seven wickets in the 30-plus overs he has bowled, will be needed on the dry surface at Motera, which could be conducive to reverse swing.

India currently leads the four-Test series 2-1 but need to win the final game to nullify the result of Sri Lanka’s away series against New Zealand.

GCA curators haven’t received any instructions from Team India

The Holkar Stadium in Indore has already been criticized by ICC match referee Chris Broad for preparing a poor track and now the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) is unlikely to risk its reputation by preparing something diabolical that will disturb the spectators of the game. Come into sight Governing Body.

“We have not received any instructions from the Indian team management and our local curators are preparing normal tracks as we have done throughout the season,” a state association source told PTI.

“In fact, in the last Ranji match here in January, Railways scored 500 plus (508) batting first and Gujarat scored 200 plus in both innings despite an innings defeat. won’t be different.”

With 96 hours to go for the Test match to begin, nobody knows what will happen once BCCI curators Taposh Chatterjee and Ash Bhowmik take charge.

The official said, ‘Apparently, in the last few days, the ground and pitch committee of BCCI gives instructions to the local curator.

The last time two Test matches were held in Ahmedabad during the COVID-19 pandemic, the day/night match was finished within just two days.

“You have to keep in mind that day/night Test and then the first Test was held after the renovation of the stadium and you had no idea what the pitch would be like,” he added.

Kohli and wife visit Mahakaleshwar temple

With the Test match set to conclude within two and a half days, star batsman Virat Kohli and wife Anushka Sharma offered prayers at the Shri Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain on Saturday morning.

While some players are stuck in Indore, some players including captain Rohit Sharma have returned to Mumbai and will join the team in Ahmedabad on March 6.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Watch: Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma offer prayers at Ujjain’s Mahakal temple