Knock! knock! Mohammed Shami's message to selectors grows louder

Kolkata, 28 February — Mohammed Shami’s red-ball credentials echoed around Eden Gardens on Monday as the India quick sent two stinging reminders to the national selectors with a three-wicket burst that kept Bengal alive in their Ranji Trophy semi-final against Jammu & Kashmir. At stumps on Day 2 the visitors, replying to Bengal’s 328, were 198 for 5, the game still hanging tantalisingly in the balance.

Shami’s first statement came in a venomous opening spell that reduced J&K to 13 for 3 inside the first hour. Shubham Khajuria and Tawer Hussain were beaten for pace and rapped on the pad; both lbw verdicts were stone-dead. Moments later Shubham Pundir nicked Mukesh Kumar to Sudip Chatterjee in the slips, and the rookie side looked rattled.

Yet Bengal allowed the door to slam shut. Skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran shelved the attacking fields just as Abdul Samad, the 22-year-old IPL dasher, walked in. Samad tore into Shami and Mukesh with 11 fours and three sixes in an 85-ball 82, while veteran Paras Dogra calmly reached two milestones — a 143-run fourth-wicket stand and 10 000 Ranji runs — during his 58. Spread-out fields, Shahbaz Ahmed’s left-arm spin lacking bite, and the third seamer Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal’s gentle pace let the pair score at will.

Shami, given only sporadic bursts, finally returned to have Samad caught by Akash Deep, and Mukesh prised out Dogra three overs later. From 156 for 3, J&K wobbled to 156 for 5 before Abid Mushtaq (26*) and Kanhaiya Wadhawan (10*) shepherded an unbroken 42-run stand under fading light.

Earlier, Bengal’s last five wickets added 79 to the overnight 249 for 5. Sudip Kumar Gharami could add only 10 to his overnight 136 before Auqib Nabi, the competition’s breakout star, pinned him for his 50th wicket of the season. Nabi finished with 5 for 87, his second five-for of the knock-out phase, while Sunil Kumar scythed through the tail to end with 3 for 41.

With three wickets already in the match and reverse swing on offer, Shami’s knock on the selection door may yet grow louder on Day 3.