Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami has finally brought the curtains down on his Test career on Friday (November 6). The 36-year-old Mohammed Shami announced his retirement from the longest format of the game through an emotional Instagram post.

Shami represented India in 64 Test matches and picked up 229 wickets. He was renowned for his brilliant line, length and ability to move the ball, playing a key role in a number of historic wins. From a dream debut to match winning performances abroad, we came up with three special performances that defined his Test career.

1. Dream Test debut against West Indies in 2013

One of Mohammed Shami’s most memorable performances came in his Test debut against West Indies at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens back in 2013. The fast bowler made an immediate impact by taking four wickets in the first innings and following it up with five more in the second innings.

He finished the match with nine wickets as West Indies were bowled out for just 168 in their second innings. India won the opening Test of the two-match Test series by an innings and 51 runs. It was a dream start to Shami's Test career.

2. Six-wicket haul against Australia at Melbourne in 2018

Mohammed Shami produced another outstanding performance during the 2018 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He picked up six wickets for 56 runs and played a key role in India's historic victory in the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MOHAMMAD SHAMI (@mdshami.11)

India had posted a huge first-innings total of 443 runs, putting Australia under serious pressure. The hosts were bowled out for 151 runs in their first innings. Shami's brilliant bowling helped India win the match by 137 runs and eventually secure a historic first-ever Test series win in Australia.

3. Five wickets against South Africa at Centurion in 2021

Mohammed Shami delivered another memorable performance during India's tour of South Africa in 2021. Playing the first Test at Centurion, Shami used his pace and accuracy to trouble the Proteas' batters and picked up five wickets for just 44 runs.

South Africa were bowled out for 197 in their first innings after India had scored 327. Shami also completed 200 test wickets during the match. India eventually won the match by 113 runs, which was their first-ever Test victory at Centurion.

Mohammed Shami’s remarkable Test career

Shami finished his Test career with 229 wickets in 64 matches at an impressive average of 27.71. His record also includes 12 four-wicket hauls and six five-wicket hauls, with his best bowling figures being 6/56.

He last played Test cricket in the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia. Shami was also part of India's campaigns in the 2021 and 2023 WTC finals. However, injuries kept him in and out of the Indian team across formats after the 2023 final.

Following India's 2025 England tour, the BCCI moved ahead without Shami in the Test setup, even though he continued to perform well in domestic cricket for Bengal across the formats.