Mohammed Shami to play in Australia tour? Pacer feels '100%' pain free

Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami is now pain-free after undergoing heel surgery earlier this year. Shami, who last played for the national team in the 50-overs World Cup final against Australia last year, plans to play a few domestic matches to regain sharpness ahead of India's tour of Australia next month.

Shami had nearly reached full fitness before a separate knee injury ruled him out of the ongoing three-test series against New Zealand. India hopes to have him ready for their upcoming five-test series in Australia, starting on Nov. 22 in Perth.

During practice on the final day of the first test against New Zealand, Shami bowled and expressed relief about his recovery. "100%," Shami told Indian media when asked if he was pain-free after his February surgery.


Shami explained that he had been bowling with a limited run-up to avoid stressing his body. "Yesterday, we decided that I would bowl properly, and I gave my 100%. It felt great, (and) the results are good. Hopefully, I'll be back on track soon," he said.

Shami said he knows the importance of spending more time on the field before the Australia tour. "I know what kind of an attack we want for that test series (against Australia), so it's better I spend some more time on the ground before going," he added. He mentioned that if he gets fit and finds a gap of eight to ten days, playing one or two domestic matches would be beneficial before heading to Australia.

Shami represents Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, a first-class cricket championship.