Is This The End Of Road For Shami?

Shami failed the Yo-Yo fitness test, prompting the selectors to summon rookie Delhi speedster Navdeep Saini in his place...

- Rajdeep Saha

Imagine being the top wicket-taker for India in South Africa and helping the national team to win a Test match in a nation where India have fared poorly over the years. Mohammed Shami must have thought that this was a new chapter in his cricket career after picking 15 wickets in three Tests against the Proteas earlier this year.

The injury-prone fast bowler looked in shape and in tremendous control as he continuously spelled trouble for the hosts. His variety of swing, consistency over 140 kph and providing a headache for batsmen in judging his deliveries was a class act. Shami grew with every match and the others seemed to have rallied in around him.

What looked like an exciting phase for the bowler and Indian cricket has now turned into something that both parties would not have liked. After all the promise and buzz, the last few months haven’t gone according to plans for the right-arm fast bowler. He finds himself out of the Indian team despite earlier having been selected for the one-off Test against Afghanistan, starting June 14.