Team India pacer Mohammed Shami will miss the remainder of the Test series in Australia, according to a report in ANI.
Shami had scans in Adelaide after copping a blow on his lower right arm while batting in the second innings of the first Test. He was declared out ‘retired hurt’ as India crashed to 36 in a dramatic collapse on the early morning of Day 3. Shami didn’t return to bowl as the hosts comprehensively beat the tourists by eight wickets.
The Press Trust of India (PTI) has reported that scans reveal a fracture in Shami’s right arm.
“Mohammed Shami has a fracture and the chances of him taking part in the remaining three Test matches is next to nil,” a BCCI source told PTI.
Uncapped fast bowler Mohammed Siraj is the leading contender to replace Shami in the second Test, which is scheduled to be played at the MCG from Boxing Day (December 26).
The Indian team will also have to find a like-to-like replacement for their captain and star batsman Virat Kohli, who has returned home to be with his wife Anushka Sharma for the birth of their first child.
Ajinkya Rahane – Team India captain for remaining three Tests – could even axe opening batsman Prithvi Shaw, who made a duck and four in Adelaide while playing a defensive shot got cleaned up twice.
