Mohammed Shami, the pacer for all seasons, retires, leaving Test cricket poorer

Even though Mohammed Shami will continue in white-ball cricket, there’ s a silent grief in not seeing him in Tests, clattering stumps, and doing that half-nod, half-smile gesture.

Updated : Nov 07, 2026 16:08 IST , Chennai - 3 MINS READ

When Mohammed Shami retired from Tests late on Friday night, Indian cricket, despite having moved on from him, will be poorer. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Cricketing mornings, redolent with the smell of cut grass and a wisp of petrichor from last night’s rain, may be the ideal ally for the fast merchants. Yet, the bigger challenge is to run in hard under the afternoon sun and test the batter’s technique.

Mohammed Shami was a speedster who could do both, excel in the morning and equally decimate batting orders in the post-lunch session. The seam position would be immaculate, and his energy boundless.

"𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙠𝙞𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙. 𝙄 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙤𝙬𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙛 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙞𝙩." Revisit @abhisheksainiii's piece detailing how Badruddin Siddiqui helped an eager, unsure Mohammed Shami become one of the world's feared quick bowlers 🏏 🔗: https://t.co/Rr7t1ZXJ19 📸: Reuters, AP and Sushil Kumar Verma #MohammedShami #BadruddinSiddiqui

— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) November 7, 2026

In the pantheon of great Indian seamers, headlined by Kapil Dev, Jasprit Bumrah, Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan, Shami too is in that group for the sheer impact he had on games that he played. When he retired from Tests late on Friday night, Indian cricket, despite having moved on from him, will be poorer.

Shami’s 229 wickets from 64 Tests could have been more if injuries hadn’t affected his career. In terms of potential, he could have bagged 300 scalps, but when he called it quits at 36, his final Test yield stands fifth among Indian fast bowlers, with Kapil, the persevering Ishant Sharma, Zaheer and Srinath being ahead of him.

Bumrah will go past Shami soon, but with the latter’s exit, a specific era in Indian pace bowling history has wound to a close. Bumrah remains the link, while Mohammed Siraj is expected to nurse the flame.

Bumrah (right) will go past Shami soon, but with the latter’s exit, a specific era in Indian pace bowling history has wound to a close. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Hailing from Uttar Pradesh but finding success as a spearhead with Bengal, Shami made his India Test debut fittingly at Eden Gardens, his home ground, against the West Indies in 2013. Rohit Sharma too made his Test debut with Shami, scoring a 177.

All from that playing eleven, ranging from the great Sachin Tendulkar to Pragyan Ojha, now the current chief selector, have moved into their post-Test phase even as Rohit and Virat Kohli turn out in ODIs.

ALSO READ | Shami helped me lot when I joined Indian dressing room: Bowling coach Morne Morkel

For three years, Shami tried to wing his way back into the Indian Test unit. Having recovered from an injury, he strove hard for Bengal. The selectors were still not convinced about him lasting the rigours of five days in Tests, and when he missed the bus for the current New Zealand tour, Shami turned pragmatic.

Mohammed Shami’s 229 wickets from 64 Tests could have been more if injuries hadn’t affected his career. In terms of potential, he could have bagged 300 scalps, | Photo Credit: AP

In his departure, Indian cricket has lost an excellent pacer. Even as he keeps his hopes afloat in white-ball cricket, there is a silent grief in not seeing him in Test whites, clattering stumps, and doing that half-nod, half-smile gesture.