'Even if he doesn't play in Perth, he will get to bowl and get ready.'
Former captain Sourav Ganguly expressed satisfaction with pace bowler Mohammed Shami's fitness after his return from a long injury lay-off during the Ranji Trophy and called upon the BCCI to send him to Australia at the earliest possible.
Shami made a successful return from injury, picking up seven wickets (4/54 and 3/102) while bowling a total of 43.2 overs to help Bengal edge Madhya Pradesh by 11 runs in the Ranji Trophy Elite, Group C, match in Indore.
This was Shami's first competitive match after a long injury lay-off. His last appearance in India's ODI World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad on November 19 last year.
Ganguly stated the importance of sending Shami to Australia soon, even if he is not ready to play in the Perth Test.
"Absolutely. He must go. He doesn't need to play the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He should do to Australia by the next flight. Go and bowl in the nets. Even if he doesn't play in Perth, he will get to bowl and get ready," Ganguly told Revsportz.
Jasprit Bumrah, who could captain India in the Perth Test in Rohit Sharma's absence, will lead the pace attack in company of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. But Ganguly claimed India's bowling attack looks weaker without Shami.
"(It's) a little bit weakened because Bumrah, Shami, Siraj is stronger than Bumrah, Siraj, and Prasidh. Definitely stronger. But fast bowlers do get injured, you cannot do anything about it. Mohammed Shami needs to be on the flight to Australia as soon as possible," he added.
Shami boasts of an impressive Test record in Australia, with 31 wickets in eight matches at an average of 32.16, including best figures of 6/56.