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Mohammed Shami picks up two wickets as Bengal fight back against Maharashtra at Eden Gardens.
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The veteran pacer has taken 12 wickets in three Ranji Trophy matches so far.
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Despite his impressive form, Shami remains out of India’s plans for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand.
Mohammed Shami has now got used to a life of performing without expectations. While his rant against Ajit Agarkar, the erstwhile chief selector who had questioned his fitness levels last season, kicked up enough dust, the seasoned pace ace has now settled into the role of big brother in Bengal’s pace pack in first-class cricket.
And yes, he is doing a good job of it. With the dice loaded in favour of visiting Maharashtra, who had skittled Bengal out for a paltry 143 in just 36.5 overs, the 36-year-old brought his state back into the match, picking up both the wickets to fall under testing conditions at Eden Gardens.
One of the victims was Prithvi Shaw, the out-of-favour India opener, who hung his bat out to Shami as the delivery held its line and pegged back the off stump.
Shami was on a hat-trick when he trapped Digvijay Patil in front of the stumps, though the batter could perhaps have been given the benefit of the doubt, with the ball’s trajectory appearing a shade high when it struck his pads. Ankit Bawne, a veteran of the Maharashtra side, kept the next delivery away, but by then Shami had his tail up. Poor light eventually halted proceedings.
His figures read 4-1-6-2 at close, with the bowler continuing the impressive form he had shown in Bengal’s opening match against Delhi.
“The wicket has some life. If bad light hadn’t come in the way, we would have done further damage. Anyway, we will go for it in the first hour tomorrow,” Shami, a firm favourite with the regional media, said during an informal chat later.
If Bengal have looked unstoppable, with three wins from as many matches in the Ranji Trophy so far and a fourth under way, they owe a fair bit to Shami for keeping the pressure on from one end.
The man with arguably the most enviable seam position in the game has taken 12 wickets in three matches so far, having skipped the second game against Services. He began with an impressive four for 30 against Delhi in the opening match at Kalyani, on the outskirts of Kolkata, before following it up with five wickets – three in the first innings and two in the second – in Bengal’s away win against Kerala.
Every time a selection meeting comes up for the Indian ODI side, the veteran’s name crops up, with fans hoping against hope for a recall. The most recent instance was ahead of the five-match series against New Zealand, beginning on Wednesday, 4 November.
The current pace attack in Gautam Gambhir’s side remains a work in progress across formats, with Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness always under scrutiny these days and Mohammed Siraj being preserved primarily for red-ball duties.
The team management chose to gamble on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, one of Shami’s contemporaries, after four years. However, the comeback has hardly been a fairytale, with the seam bowler managing just one wicket in four of the five T20Is against the Kiwis.
No such opportunities have come Shami’s way, despite his impressive record. He was the joint-highest wicket-taker in the last tournament he played for the Men in Blue – the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 – with nine wickets to his name.
It may well be the end of the road for one of the finest pace bowlers of this generation, but the powers that be could have handled it with greater grace.
Shami, meanwhile, appears to be at peace with himself, not letting even his favourite dish of biryani – which he gorged on after practice on Sunday – interfere with his form.