Quantcast

Shami injury adds to India's worries for second Test

One-nil down in the series and needing to replace skipper Virat Kohli, India will reportedly also lose Mohammad Shami for the rest of the series

India paceman Mohammed Shami has reportedly broken his arm and will miss the remainder of the Vodafone Test Series against Australia, according to multiple Indian media reports.

Shami had scans in Adelaide after copping a Pat Cummins delivery on his lower right arm while batting in the first Test.

He retired hurt as India crashed to 36 all out and didn't take the field as Australia banked an eight-wicket win.

The Press Trust of India (PTI), ESPNCricinfo and Cricbuzz are all reporting that scans revealed a fracture in Shami's right arm, although the team is yet to confirm his injury status.

Uncapped quicks Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini are the leading contenders to replace Shami for the Melbourne Test starting on Boxing Day.

36 all out: Watch India's unbelievable batting collapse

The tourists must also replace captain and star batsman Virat Kohli, who is returning home to be at the birth of his first child.

Indian selectors could also axe opening bat Prithvi Shaw, who made a duck and four in Adelaide when twice bowled while attempting a defensive shot.

KL Rahul and Shubman Gill are in the frame to be summoned to top-six slots in the batting order.

Regardless of the potential changes, Kohli called for calm amid a backlash in India to their Adelaide debacle.

"We definitely don't feel like we are able to be getting bowled out so cheaply ...on a regular basis," Kohli said on Saturday.

"So I don't think it is anything alarming. We can very well sit here and make a mountain out of a molehill.

"But it's basically looking at things in the right perspective and knowing what we need to do as a team moving forward ... rather than going too much into the past and what has happened.

"We learn from our mistakes and we move forward."

A cricket-mad India reacted with shock and disbelief after Kohli's men registered the country's lowest Test innings score in Adelaide.

A photo of Kohli with lowered head was printed on the front page of the Times of India newspaper, along with the 10 single-digit scores recorded by the Indian batsmen who were dismissed for 36.

"No this is not a phone number. It's the score of the Indian line-up (in order of dismissal) in the 2nd innings at Adelaide," the newspaper said.

The Indian Express printed the photo of the manual scoreboard at the Adelaide Oval on its front page reflecting India's batting capitulation in the day-night test.

The daily called it a "Day & Nightmare Test" and devoted an entire page to mourn "The Great Indian Batting Collapse."

Some former players were more sympathetic though.

"With the way India batted & bowled in the 1st innings, they were in the driver's seat, but the Aussies came back really hard..." tweeted batting great Sachin Tendulkar.

"That is the beauty of Test cricket. It's NEVER over till it's over. India was outclassed in the 2nd half. Congratulations to Australia!"

Vodafone Test Series v India 2020-21

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner

India Test squad: Virat Kohli (c) (first Test only), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG, 10.30am AEDT

Third Test: January 7-11, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Fourth Test: January 15-19, Gabba, 11am AEDT