Mohammed Shami bids farewell to Test cricket

Mohammed Shami, one of the mainstays of India's pace attack, has formally announced his retirement from Test cricket, the longest format of international cricket. The 36-year-old experienced pacer confirmed his decision in a video message posted on social media on Friday night.

With his farewell to the red-ball format, Shami's successful Test chapter in Indian cricket has come to an end. He took 229 wickets in 64 Tests for the national team.

For many years he was the team's main weapon, with superb swing control and accurate seam position with the new ball, the ability to extract reverse swing with the old ball, and a knack for providing breakthroughs at moments of pressure. His bowling performances played an outstanding role, in particular, in India's historic successes on foreign soil.

After playing the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy, the bowler did not get another opportunity to represent the national team. Shami, who had fallen out of the national side because of a prolonged injury, later returned to domestic cricket for Bengal and proved his sharpness and fitness.

But despite his bright performances in domestic competition, the door to the national team did not open for him again. It is believed that he decided to step away from Tests after considering his long time out of the side and the extra physical demands of the longest format.

Although he has retired from Tests, Shami has not fully closed the door on limited-overs international cricket. He has given positive indications about his future plans in the ODI and T20 formats.

Whether he will be seen again in white-ball cricket is now a matter of interest for cricket analysts and fans. His haul of 229 Test wickets leaves him in a special place in the history of Indian pace bowling.