Shami's long-awaited return sight for sore eyes

Having made his India comeback, focus will be on pacer ahead of CT

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN @Chennai

JUST as artificial light was beginning to take over from natural light at the Niranjan Shah Stadium at Rajkot on Tuesday, the familiar but slightly forgotten sight of Mohammed Shami steaming in with a white ball next to the main pitch played itself out. Since that fateful evening against Australia in Ahmedabad on November 19, 2023, all cricketing stakeholders – the paying public, commentators, broadcasters, the board and the players – have yearned for him. It's definitely not been a case of out of sight, out of mind. If anything, it's been a case of absence making the heart grow fonder.