Having last played a Test match for India in June 2023, Mohammed Shami has called time on his Test career at the age of 36, exactly 13 years since he made his Test debut back in November 2013.
Shami announced his Test retirement via an emotional video and written post on his social media handles, confirming that he will continue to play white-ball cricket, including the IPL and domestic cricket, which suggests that he still has the desire to play for India in the 2027 World Cup.
Shami had a sensational 2023 World Cup, but a major ankle/heel injury forced him out of action for more than a year. He made his return to international cricket in early 2025 and was part of India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025-winning campaign but hasn’t been picked for any formats since then despite performing impressively in both IPL and domestic cricket.
Across a 64-Test career, Shami took 229 Test wickets at an average of 27.71 with six five-wicket innings hauls, ending up as India’s sixth-highest wicket-taker among fast bowlers.
Shami was part of a great Indian pace bowling attack alongside Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and later on Mohammed Siraj.
The trio of Shami, Bumrah, and Ishant was at the forefront of India’s success in the BGT 2018/19, which was India’s first-ever Test series win on Australian soil.
Let us check out Shami’s best five bowling performances in the longest format.
Top 5 Best Bowling Figures By Mohammed Shami In Test Cricket:
- 5/47 vs West Indies, Kolkata, 2013
On his Test debut against the West Indies in Kolkata in 2013, Shami displayed a terrific performance by picking up figures of 4/71 and 5/47 – his maiden five-for in Test cricket on his debut!
The West Indies were bowled out for 234 and 168 on either side of India’s first innings total of 453, losing by an innings and 51 runs. This was the first and only time that Shami picked up 9 wickets in a Test match.
4. 5/44 vs South Africa, Centurion, 2021
In December 2021, India registered a famous victory in Centurion against South Africa. India took a stronghold in the first half of the Test match, initially through a century from KL Rahul, which was followed by a 5/44 performance from Shami, which included the scalps of Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma.
He took three wickets in South Africa’s second innings as India won by 113 runs.
3. 5/35 vs South Africa, Visakhapatnam, 2019
Mohammed Shami’s third-best bowling figures in an innings in Test cricket were 5/35, which he bagged against South Africa in Visakhapatnam in 2019.
While Rohit Sharma grabbed the majority of the headlines for his twin centuries on return to Test cricket, Shami had a little bounce back of his own. He had gone wicketless across 18 overs in South Africa’s first innings but claimed outstanding figures of 10.5-2-35-5 in the second innings, helping India bowl the Proteas out for under 200.
2. 5/28 vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2018
One of India’s most memorable Test match triumphs under Virat Kohli was the 2018 Johannesburg Test in a low-scoring game that was played on a challenging pitch.
Shami took only one wicket in South Africa’s first innings and looked out of control as he leaked 46 runs in 12 overs. But the seamer roared back to life later on: as India set on to defend 241, Shami snared five Protea wickets in 12.3 overs, helping India win by 63 runs.
1. 6/56 vs Australia, Perth, 2018
Shami’s best bowling figures in an innings in Test cricket is 6/56, which he took in Perth in 2018. Although India lost the Test by 146 runs, Shami’s six-wicket haul, his only six-for in Tests, during Australia’s second innings had given the visitors some hope as it prevented Australia from setting an over-300 target.
What is Mohammed Shami’s best bowling figures in a Test match innings?
Shami took 5 five-wicket hauls and one six-wicket haul in his Test career. His best bowling figures in an innings of a Test match came in Perth in 2018 when he claimed 6/56.
Shami’s best performance across a Test match was on his Test debut in 2013 against West Indies in Kolkata, when he took 9 wickets, the only instance of his picking up 9 victims in a Test match.
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