India head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma heaved a huge sigh of relief as veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami's date of return to action was announced on Tuesday. Shami is all set to play in his first competitive game in almost a year on Wednesday in the ongoing Ranji Trophy tournament.

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), on Tuesday, announced Shami's return, saying that he "will make a comeback into competitive cricket for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match in Indore starting on Wednesday."

According to a report in Sportstar, Shami is yet to join the Bengal team in Indore, but the team coach, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, confirmed that he will reach the city later on Tuesday in a bid to make his appearance in the Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh. The senior India cricketer also received the necessary clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) ahead of his first-class match.

Shami's return a huge boost for India

Shami has been out of action since the 2023 ODI World Cup final in November last year after incurring an ankle injury. He later went under the knife in February, earlier this year, and has since been rehabilitating at the NCA in Bengaluru.

Shami was expected to make a return in the New Zealand Test series last month but suffered from a swollen knee, which dampened his chances of making the India Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar series in Australia. The development came just a few weeks after Shami claimed that he started bowling at his "100%" and that the "results are good".

He was later expected to make the Bengal Ranji Trophy squad ahead of their fourth match of the season against Karnataka, but he was reportedly ruled out due to a side strain. This further ruled out his chances of even making a late entry into the Australia Test series.

However, the development on Tuesday sparked a fresh hope in the Indian team, who are already in Australia in preparation for series opener in Perth on November 22, as a decent outing for Shami, where he can prove his match fitness, could see the fast bowler on the next flight to Australia.

His inclusion would be a major boost to India's bleak chances of making the World Test Championship final, but more so for Gambhir and Rohit, who are under-fire following the whitewash at home against New Zealand.

With Mohammed Siraj struggling to find a rhythm, Shami could be the perfect aid to Jasprit Bumrah, while Akash Deep can take up the role of a third seamer. The line-up can give India hope of making a difference in the Australia series and scripting a bounce back from the New Zealand low.

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