Christchurch: Fast bowler Ishant Sharma is likely to miss the 2nd India-New Zealand Test beginning here Saturday due to the recurrence of his ankle injury. He will be replaced by Umesh Yadav, sources stated here Friday. The injury flared up during India’s training session on the day.
Ishant had suffered the injury while playing a Ranji Trophy game January 20 for Delhi. The flare-up brings to light how India have handled Ishant’s injury which is a grade-three ligament tear. A player usually requires six weeks to recover from such setback, but Ishant played the first Test in only four weeks since he was injured.
India may not have had any reason to doubt his fitness ahead of the first Test in Wellington, however, since he had cleared a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, February 15, and then bowled for at least an hour and 15 minutes at the nets four days later in Wellington.
Ishant’s loss will no doubt be a huge setback for India who are trying to make a comeback into the series after going down in the first game in only three days. He was the most impressive bowler at Wellington picking up five wickets in New Zealand’s first innings as both Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami struggled. More importantly Ishant has been very successful away from home in the recent past. In the 13 Tests that Ishant has played outside India, he has picked up 53 wickets.
PNN & Agencies