Unfit Shami out of Afghan Test, Saini gets maiden call
NEW DELHI: Mohammed Shami’s season has gone from bad to worse. He played just four games for Delhi Daredevils in IPL as he faced family issues. The pacer has now been dropped from the India squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan starting on Thursday on fitness grounds.
The Yo-yo fitness test, mandatory for selection, has also led to the axing of Sanju Samson for India A’s England tour with another keeper-batsman, Ishan Kishan replacing him. Shami now faces uncertainty for the England Test tour.
Delhi pacer Navdeep Saini will replace Shami in the squad for the Bangalore Test. Saini played a key role in Delhi reaching the Ranji Trophy final last season.
“I know what Gautam bhaiya (Delhi skipper Gambhir) had to go through to convince selectors that I was good enough to play for Delhi…,” Saini told PTI as he recalled his rise from being a tennis-ball cricketer. Saini, 25, was a match-winner in the Ranji semi- Egypt and Tunisia. Costa Rica, Morocco and Sweden. Argentina, Iceland and England.
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Pacers Mohammed Siraj and Rajneesh Gurbani, both India A players, have been called up to bowl in the nets.
The India team management is also wary of the threat from Afghan wrist spinners, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb ur Rahman.
India have thus called up legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Shivil Kaushik, the unorthodox left-arm spinner, to bowl in the M Chinnaswamy Stadium nets. The wrist spinner in the side is Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav with R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja the other spinners. Monsoon though could dictate how the Bangalore pitch plays.
RAHMAN’S WEAPON
Afghan spinners continue to talk up their chances against Indian batsmen. Mujeeb ur Rahman, the teenaged mystery spinner who played for Kings XI Punjab under R Ashwin, says he plans to use tricks taught by his IPL skipper if he makes his first-class debut.
“I spent a lot of time with Ashwin at the nets and it was really helpful. He told me spots where to bowl. He has also taught me a new ball and I am trying to learn it. It is a carrom ball with an off-spin action,” Mujeeb told PTI.
In IPL, Mujeeb had stunned Virat Kohli by bowling him with a googly. “I’ve played high-level cricket so there is no fear going into the Test. Thanks to the IPL, I know how to handle pressure. I don’t fear playing against any opposition. It used to play on my mind but not anymore,” he said.