Wed Oct 16 09:55:17 UTC 2024: ## Shami’s Injury Casts Doubt Over His Australia Tour, Rohit Hints at Debutants
**Bengaluru, India:** Indian captain Rohit Sharma has dropped a bombshell ahead of the first Test against New Zealand, revealing that star pacer Mohammed Shami has suffered a setback in his recovery, sustaining a fresh knee injury. The injury casts doubt over Shami’s participation in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series in Australia.
“His recovery has been hit with a setback with a fresh knee injury,” Sharma revealed during a pre-match press conference. “He could miss at least a few Tests, if not the entire series. We want him to be 100% fit, and we don’t want to bring an undercooked Shami to Australia.”
In Shami’s absence, the Indian team is considering promoting reserve players for the Australia tour. “Some of the players who are travelling as reserves might get to make their Test debut,” Sharma hinted. “They have played the Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy, and we will be monitoring them closely.”
The reserve players in question are Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav, and Prasidh Krishna. They are likely to be part of India’s T20I series against South Africa, providing them with an opportunity to prove their mettle on the international stage.
“We want to see what they can offer us,” Sharma added. “Especially Test cricket, which is a different ball game compared to white ball cricket.”
Meanwhile, the Indian pace attack will likely rely on Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, with Akash Deep already proving his credentials as the third seamer. The battle for the fourth pace bowling option will depend on the conditions in Australia.
The news of Shami’s injury is a significant blow for India as they prepare for a crucial series against Australia. The team will be looking to its reserves to step up and fill the void left by the injured pacer.
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