IND vs SA: "It’s Opportunity For..." - Bharat Arun's Blunt Opinion On Mohammed Shami's Absence In SA Tests

Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun recently in an interaction with RevSportz opened up on Indian pacer Mohammed Shami’s absence on the South African tour. Arun was asked during the interaction that are the Indian team missing Mohammed Shami’s presence in South Africa.

Team India‘s pace department transformed when former Indian all-rounder Ravi Shastri was the team’s head coach. Shastri joined the team management in the year 2014 as a team director and later was appointed as the head coach in the year 2017 after Anil Kumble’s resignation. Shastri along with his deputies, Sanjay Bangar (batting coach), Bharat Arun (bowling coach), and R Sridhar (fielding coach), played an important role in making India a powerhouse.

During the conversation, Bharat Arun stated that the Indian team are missing Mohammed Shami on the South African tour because of his quality. Arun further added that it is also an opportunity for other bowlers to step up as well and make their presence in the team.

Bharat Arun opens up Mohammed Shami’s absence in the first Test against South Africa

Bharat Arun said, “Of course. A bowler of the quality of Shami – if he’s not available, we will definitely miss him. But then, these are part and parcel of playing Test cricket. Bowlers are down with injuries and sometimes they are not available. But it’s an opportunity for another bowler to step up. So I would look at it as another opportunity for other bowlers to step up and say yes, I have got it in me to come back and do my job for the country.”

There was a period when the Indian team were known for their batsmen and quality spinners. However, as soon as Bharat Arun became India’s bowling coach, the Indian team pacers went through a tremendous transformation and now are known to be one of the best pace attacks in the world.

The pacers wrote the script for India’s win in the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries. Especially Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur.

The Indian team also showcased lethal bowling during the 2023 ODI World Cup and totally decimated the opposition team. Mohammed Shami emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament and picked up 24 wickets from seven games at an average of 10.70.

Recently, it was revealed by Mohammed Shami’s Bengal teammate that he was carrying an ankle injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup and was given injections for the same. Shami was rested from the white-ball series against South Africa and was supposed to join the tram in the Tests.

However, later Mohammed Shami was found unfit for the series and was ruled out for the same. Shami was replaced by Prasidh Krishna but he was not able to stand up to the mark and went for a lot of runs in the match.

Now, Avesh Khan has been added to the side post-Prasidh Krishna’s failure and it looks like he might get a nod in the second Test match of the series set to be played from January 3 at the Sahara Park Newlands.