Jogging gingerly, barely six steps, and Shami was releasing the ball without putting much shoulder into the delivery. The wrist didn’t lie though, as every ball zipped away after pitching. He was bending the ball alright. This was far from full tilt, more a cautious attempt. That threw up more questions than India would have liked as they got down to preparing for the white-ball series against England.

With no press conference scheduled for the day, all that the media could glean from the training were subtle hints or sweeping conjectures. And it wasn’t exactly working in favour of Shami for the first half an hour. The right heel was under the scanner all the while until BCCI sent a press release in December stating that Shami’s left knee had “exhibited minor swelling due to increased joint loading from his bowling workload” in domestic cricket. According to the medical team, “controlled exposure to bowling loads” was the way forward. One month on, Shami still walking around with knee strapped can’t be good, especially when Jasprit Bumrah is expected to be out of cricket for at least five weeks.

Shami though has bowled quite a bit in the last three weeks. Eight overs against Bihar, eight against Madhya Pradesh and 10 against Haryana, each Vijay Hazare Trophy match for Bengal in the first half of January had raised confidence that Shami was slowly getting there. That none of it had gone to waste started becoming apparent once Shami switched to the nets where the top-order batters were knocking. First ball, fair run-up, decent pace, Shami immediately hit the desired length. Next ball, full run-up, more pace, Shami was hitting his stride. Five minutes in, he was back.

Shami breezing in to bowl full tilt is an important milestone even though the T20I series, beginning Wednesday, isn’t high-priority given this is Champions Trophy build-up. With Bumrah rested, India have to find different bowling combinations with Shami as centrepiece and Hardik Pandya as the middle-overs backup.

“With uncertainty around Jassi (Bumrah), if he (Shami) is fit and playing regularly, the quality and the experience that he brings is invaluable,” chief selector Ajit Agarkar said on Saturday after announcing the Champions Trophy squad. “To get him involved in T20Is is precisely because of that. To get him back into international cricket and play under pressure. We are hoping he comes through these games, and by the time the Champions Trophy comes he is 100%,” Agarkar said.

Since Shami gets better as he bowls, Sunday was the right time to stretch his legs. Forty minutes going full steam at the batters, bowling over and round the wicket, varying his lengths and pace, Shami was a riveting picture of focus. Once done, Shami returned to the track adjacent to the match pitch to discuss wrist positions with Morkel as Pandya and Harshit Rana joined them. With markers placed at different lengths, Morkel asked them to take aim.

Rana knocked over leg-stump, Pandya off, and Shami hit middle of middle. Dead-straight bowling is what he is known for, regardless of format. Which is why the key to India doing well on lifeless Dubai pitches in CT is Shami not wavering from his line. He achieved that with aplomb, either with a top-of-off-stump line or uprooting the wicket set with fuller length balls. Making it even more enthralling was his shallower angle of release, which top batters find it difficult to counter on pitches with inconsistent bounce. With Shami, what you see is what you get. And this was as good a preview of top-notch fast bowling as you would see.

One team, one bus: BCCI

Implementation of BCCI’s 10-point diktat for the Indian cricket team after the Australia Test series defeat has begun with its communication to the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) that no separate vehicle should be provided for any player and that all are required to travel by the team bus. India play the T20I series opener against England here on January 22.

CAB president Snehasish Ganguly confirmed the arrangements. “Only a team bus has been arranged for the Indian team. There won’t be any personal vehicles for the cricketers. We have to follow the guidelines, which clearly state that all players are expected to travel with the team to and from matches and practice sessions,” he told PTI.

On Sunday, the Indian contingent arrived at the Eden Gardens in the team bus, marking a departure from previous instances when some of the players or support staff would occasionally travel in personal vehicles.