IND vs AUS: Mohammed Shami set to return for final Test in Ahmedabad as India eye spot in WTC final

Ace Indian seamer Mohammed Shami is all set to return to playing XI for the final Test against Australia in Ahmedabad as India eye a slot in the finals of the World Test Championship (WTC). Shami was rested for the third Test in Indore as part of the workload management drill by the BCCI and team management for the key players who are in the scheme of things for the 50-over World Cup.

Shami and Mohammed Siraj both of whom played in the first two Tests in Nagpur and Delhi and are also part of the ODI series that starts from March 17th in Mumbai, probably won’t play together in the final Test as Siraj is now expected to be rested for the Ahmedabad game. Umesh Yadav, who was picked in the playing XI in the third Test, is likely to retain his place for the deciding game.

As India currently lead the four-match series 2-1, having lost the previous match at the Holkar Stadium by nine wickets on a wicket that ICC rated ‘poor’, they will aim to win the final Test and qualify directly for the finals of WTC for the second time. As of now, only Australia has qualified for the WTC final, which is scheduled to take place at the Oval in London on June 7th. 

As reported by the PTI, following the drama surrounding the Indore pitch, the Gujarat State Association is unlikely to put its reputation on the line by preparing a similar surface as the one used in Indore. A source in the Association has told PTI that they haven’t received any instructions on how the wicket should play for the final match as they are likely to go ahead with the normal pitch.

“We haven’t received any instructions from the Indian team management and our local curators are preparing a normal track as we have always done through the season,” a state association source told PTI. “In fact, last Ranji game over here in January, Railways scored 500 plus (508) batting first, and Gujarat, although had innings defeat, scored 200 plus in both innings. It won’t be too different this time,” the source added.

Meanwhile, the last time a Test match took place at the Narendra Modi Stadium between India and England in 2021, it ended in two days.