IND vs SA: "Mohammed Shami and the spinners will win tests for him…"- Sourav Ganguly’s bold message to Gautam Gambhir after Kolkata humiliation

Sourav Ganguly advised Gautam Gambhir to bring back Mohammed Shami to the test team.

Former Indian Cricket Team captain and current Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Sourav Ganguly has advocated for Mohammed Shami’s comeback in the test team. His comments came after India’s defeat in the first test against South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, November 16.

Shami last played a test match for India in June 2023 during ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final against Australia. Last month, he was overlooked for the test series against West Indies with selectors citing his fitness issues. He was subsequently not considered for the ongoing test series against South Africa.

Despite that, the right-arm pacer has impressed with his marvellous form in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2025-26, where he represents Bengal. Recently, the senior Indian pacer clarified that he is fit to play for India, which was evident with his outstanding performance in domestic cricket. He also slammed selectors for denying him opportunities in the national team.

Sourav Ganguly backs Mohammed Shami’s return to test team

During a conversation with Sports Tak, Ganguly backed Shami’s return to India’s test team, saying that he deserves a spot in the current side. He also advised Gambhir to trust his senior pacers to bring him victories in test matches and urged him to keep the pitch conditions out of the discussion.

“I am very fond of Gautam; he has done well in the 2011 and T20 World Cups. He will continue for a while, but he must play on good pitches in India. He must have faith in Bumrah, Siraj, and Shami. I think Shami deserves a place in this test team. Shami and the spinners will win Tests for him,” he said.

“He needs to take the wicket out of the game. Because if his batters aren’t putting up 350–400, he will not win Tests. That is the reason they won in England, because their batters put runs up on the board. He must play on good wickets. And trust his people. And win tests in 5 days. Not in 3 days,” Ganguly further added.

Meanwhile, Shami’s ouster from the test squad for the South Africa series despite his heroics in the Ranji Trophy came as a big surprise for many cricket fans. His last appearance for India came in March in ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep are three pacers in India’s squad for the test series against the Proteas, which will witness two games. After losing the first clash by 30 runs, India will face Temba Bavuma & Co. in the second test in Guwahati starting November 22.

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