Kolkata, Feb 27: With an eye on a possible comeback in the last two Tests against Australia, India pacer Mohammed Shami is eager to get a few overs under his belt for Bengal in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.
India’s No. 1 pace bowler is confident he can play the last two league games of Bengal, against Madhya Pradesh (March 4) and Gujarat (March 6), in Chennai. “I don’t know yet but if I’m fully fit and comfortable to play, then I may play last two matches (of Bengal in Vijay Hazare Trophy in Chennai),” Shami told reporters.
Shami, who has been out due to a knee injury since he played the third Test against England at Mohali in November, said he would travel to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru in a few days to get his fitness assessed. He was recently at NCA to recuperate from the injury.
The squad for the last two Tests in Ranchi and Dharamsala will be announced after second Test in Bengaluru from March 4-8 and Shami would make a comeback if declared fit.
India trail the four-match series 0-1 and travel to Bengaluru for the second Test and Shami may join the training to get his fitness assessed.
On India’s crushing 333-run defeat in the Pune Test, Shami, who came to meet his former captain MS Dhoni at Eden Gardens on the sidelines of Jharkhand’s Vijay Hazare Trophy match, said the side would bounce back.
“Let’s look forward, there’s still a lot of cricket left in the series. Win and loss is part of the game. We may have a bad day. Let’s not blame anyone and try to focus on the remaining matches. I’m sure we would bounce back,” he said.
