Mohammed Shami announced his retirement from Test cricket on Friday, exactly 13 years after making his debut in the format against the West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 6, 2013.
His retirement, though, was not entirely unexpected. The decision comes amid Shami's prolonged absence from the national side. He last represented India in the 2025 Champions Trophy, while his most recent Test appearance came in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia. Despite being overlooked by the national selectors, the 36-year-old has continued to turn out for Bengal in domestic cricket, even as questions have been raised about his fitness.
Shami finishes his Test career with 229 wickets from 64 matches. Over the years, he has produced several memorable spells, showcasing his pace, ability to generate reverse swing and knack for delivering in crucial moments.Here is a look at five of his finest bowling performances in Test cricket.
Shami could hardly have asked for a better introduction to Test cricket. Making his debut against the West Indies at Eden Gardens in November 2013, the Bengal pacer picked up four wickets for 71 runs in the first innings, dismissing Kieran Powell, Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin and Sheldon Cottrell. He followed it up with an even better performance in the second innings, taking 5/47 to bundle out the visitors for 168. Shami finished with match figures of 9/118, helping India secure an innings-and-51-run victory. Most of his wickets came through reverse swing, with six batters bowled and one dismissed leg-before-wicket (LBW).
Shami produced one of the finest spells of his career during the second Test against Australia at Perth in December 2018. Despite India eventually losing the match, the pacer stood out with a fiery display in Australia's second innings. He used his pace and ability to extract bounce to trouble the Australian batters, finishing with six wickets. His victims included Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Tim Paine and Nathan Lyon. Shami finished with figures of 6/56, his best in Test cricket. However, his effort went in vain as Australia secured a 146-run victory to level the four-match series.
Shami delivered a match-defining performance in the third Test against South Africa at Johannesburg in January 2018. Defending a target of 241, India needed their bowlers to produce something special on a challenging surface. South Africa appeared to be in control at 124/2 before Shami helped turn the contest around with a devastating spell. He dismissed Aiden Markram early in the innings before returning to dismantle the lower order. Vernon Philander, Andile Phehlukwayo, Morne Morkel and Lungi Ngidi were his other victims as South Africa were bowled out for 177. Shami finished with figures of 5/28 from 12.3 overs, helping India secure a memorable 63-run victory and avoid a series whitewash.
Shami produced another memorable performance against South Africa in the first Test in Visakhapatnam in October 2019. After India posted a mammoth 502/7 declared in the first innings, South Africa were set a target of 395. Shami stepped up in the fourth innings, producing a superb spell of reverse swing to trouble the visitors. He dismissed Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, Dane Piedt and Kagiso Rabada to finish with figures of 5/35. His spell helped bowl South Africa out for 191, handing India a comprehensive 203-run victory. The five-wicket haul was particularly impressive given the conditions, with Shami showing that he could be equally effective on a traditionally spin-friendly Indian surface.
Shami has enjoyed some of his best performances against South Africa, with three of his six career five-wicket hauls coming against the Proteas. One of those came in the Boxing Day Test at Centurion in December 2021, where he claimed 5/44 in the first innings to help bowl out the hosts for 197. India took a 130-run first-innings lead, which proved crucial despite being dismissed for 174 in their second innings. Chasing 305 for victory, South Africa struggled and were bowled out for 191, with Shami picking up another three wickets (3/63). He finished with eight wickets in the match, playing a key role in India's historic 113-run victory. The win also made India the first Asian team to win a Test at Centurion.