Xtra Time Web Desk: Team India speedster Mohammed Shami will not be part of the final batch of cricketers travelling to South Africa for the upcoming test series. Captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, R Ashwin, Navdeep Saini, and Harshit Rana will be flying out to Johannesburg via Dubai on Friday. Shami, who is yet to report to the National Cricket Academy is seriously doubtful at least for the first test against Proteas which will start on Boxing Day, i.e., December 26 in Centurion.
Shami is reportedly nursing an ankle injury he suffered during the World Cup. He consulted an orthopaedic surgeon in Mumbai. He was supposed to report to the National Cricket Academy for rehab following which he will undergo a fitness test. The 33-year-old will only board the flight to South Africa once he passes the fitness test.
The BCCI in the media release clearly stated that Shami will be available subject to his fitness. The pacer had been suffering from ankle pain, and it is learned that he had carried the World Cup workload despite the pain, particularly experiencing discomfort while landing on his right foot at the delivery point.
The first of the two Tests starts on Boxing Day, December 26, at Centurion. The second Test is at Newlands in Cape Town, but before that, there is a three-day game for the Test picks from December 20.