Kolkata, Sept. 6 -- There is something quietly defiant about Mohammed Shami still turning up. At 36, with 99 first-class games behind him and a 100th waiting in the Duleep Trophy final versus South Zone starting in Chennai on Sunday, Shami finds himself at an awkward intersection of achievement and uncertainty. The milestone is significant. The circumstances are less so. India's selectors have, through their decisions, suggested that the fast bowler is no longer part of their immediate plans. Shami, however, continues to behave as if the argument remains open. "He is just one of the best. He has been a legend of this game. He has been doing so well since he started playing for Bengal. He has been picking wickets, giving all his energy and he has done so well for the Indian cricket team also," his East Zone captain Ishan Kishan said on Saturday. "It's hard to say when it comes to age, I feel age is just a number. If he is working hard it doesn't matter. I see that hunger in Shami bhai because who better than me to judge about hunger right now." The hunger Kishan suggests is not abstract. He has seen it at close quarters. "He has been doing so well, especially having him in our team it gives us a bit of more confidence." There was a revealing detail in Kishan's description of Shami's contribution this season. The seasoned fast bowler has not been content to just fulfil his allocation of overs. "Looking at his efforts as a captain I felt very nice, because Shami bhai came in asking me for those extra overs to get the wickets. This is something which always gives confidence to skippers."...