Reports | Fracture could keep Mohammad Shami out of first Test versus England

Reports | Fracture could keep Mohammad Shami out of first Test versus England

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Shami looks set to miss the first England Test

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Mohammad Shami, who has headed back home after fracturing his arm in Adelaide, looks set to miss the first Test versus England starting February 5, with him expected to spend significant time rehabbing at the NCA. Shami, in the first Test, was struck on his forearm by a Pat Cummins delivery.

Although the BCCI are yet to officially reveal that Mohammad Shami has been ruled out of the ongoing Australia Tests, multiple sources - personal and inside sources - have confirmed the news, with many, in fact, claiming that the Bengal pacer has already headed back home. Shami went down in pain with India 36/9 in the second innings in Adelaide after being struck on his arm by a Pat Cummins delivery on the rise. Scans later revealed, according to multiple sources, that the 30-year-old had fractured his arm, ruling him out of the rest of the series.

But India could now be in for more bitter news as a fresh report has claimed that Shami could very well miss the first Test against England, starting February 5. Shami’s rest and rehab are roughly expected to take a month and a half, and so with the England series scheduled to commence in the first week of February, the speedster would be facing an impossible race against time to get fit in time for the Chepauk encounter. 

"He is not likely to play the first Test versus England as rest and rehab will take six weeks. Once the plaster is off, he will do his rehab at the NCA (National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru)," a BCCI source told PTI.

The fact that the series will be played inside a biosecure bubble will add an extra layer of complication to the issue. While it is unclear what protocols the BCCI will be enforcing for the England series - which will be the first in India since the pandemic outbreak in March 2019 - it is, as of the moment, highly unlikely that Shami will even be in consideration to play the first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium starting February 5. 

The first two England and India Tests will be played at Chepauk in Chennai. The second leg of the tour - 2 Tests and 5 T20Is - will be played at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad, while Pune will be hosting all 3 ODIs which will be a part of the ODI Super League. 

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