Indian Test captain Virat Kohli is confronted with a major problem ahead of the fourth Test against England- Mohammed Shami is not fully fit. The captain confirmed about the pacer’s injury and said a call will be taken on him on the eve of the match.
Virat Kohli addressed a press conference on Wednesday and said that Shami was feeling soreness in his knees. This could be a cause of concern for the captain as the reserve pace bowlers have not had much action lately.
As Shami’s replacement, the team management had only two pace options-Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma. Ishant Sharma will not be available for the fourth Test as he is getting married on December 9. The other option, Bhuveshwar Kumar has made a comeback in the team after having got injured in the first Test match against New Zealand. He has not played a match after that. He had performed beautifully in the match against the Kiwis as he took 5 wickets in the first innings. India went on to win the Test and the series.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been proving himself to be a reliable fast bowler for India, but for him to fill in the shoes of Shami is a tough thing to achieve. This is because he has been out of the game for the last 5 Test matches India have played. India have won 4 out of the 5 matches, and Mohammed Shami has played a pivotal role in the wins. He has been effective with the new and the old ball. He has managed to reverse swing the ball and provided crucial breakthroughs for the team. In the last Test against England, he took 5 wickets. India won the Test by 246 runs.
India are leading England in the five-match series by 2-0 margin. England will have to win the remaining two matches to draw the series.
WATCH: Why Mohammed Shami is a dangerous bowler
