India's Mohammed Shami, renowned for his unyielding aggression and upright seam delivery, has been making waves since his return from a year-long injury layoff. — AFP

During his recent spell in Rajkot, where he tormented local batters, some cricket enthusiasts wondered why one of India's premier seamers wasn't dispatched to Australia to bolster the pace attack led by Jasprit Bumrah. Following India's humiliating 10-wicket loss within three days in the second Test at Adelaide, calls for Shami to be included in the squad for the third Test in Brisbane are likely to intensify. The crushing defeat not only deflated the team's spirits after their impressive win in the first Test in Perth but also highlighted their over-dependence on Bumrah for securing 20 wickets in a Test match. In Adelaide, India managed to take only 10 wickets, with Bumrah, the leading wicket-taker in the five-Test series, claiming four, including three top-order Australian batters. Fellow seamer Mohammed Siraj took four middle and lower order wickets, but by then, Australia had already seized control. Harshit Rana, without a wicket, conceded 86 runs in his 16 overs.

"You can't expect Bumrah to bowl from both ends, from morning to evening," India captain Rohit Sharma remarked after the defeat. Shami's inclusion would have alleviated Bumrah's workload, but the team management remains unconvinced about the seamer's Test-readiness after such a prolonged absence due to his ankle injury. At 34, Shami is second only to Bumrah in India's pace hierarchy and is celebrated for his relentless aggression and upright seam delivery. Rohit hinted that the 64-Test veteran might still feature in the remaining matches of the five-Test series in Australia. The third Test for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy kicks off in Brisbane on December 14, followed by matches in Melbourne and Sydney.

"We want to be more than 100% sure with him because it has been a long time," Rohit said of the bowler. "We don't want to put pressure on him to come here and do the job for the team." We will make a decision based on the medical team's assessment, but the door remains open for him to join the squad at any time.

Shami recently took 3-26 against Rajasthan in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and his form and fitness will be closely monitored when his Bengal side takes on Chandigarh in their next fixture on Monday.

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