Ishant down with ankle pain, doubtful for 2nd Test
CHRISTCHURCH: India’s worries ahead of the second Test against New Zealand increased after senior-most pacer Ishant Sharma skipped Friday’s practice session due to pain in his right ankle, making him a doubtful starter for the game. Sharma came for practice but apparently felt discomfort after which he was taken for precautionary scan of his right ankle. The reports are awaited and if Sharma is ruled unfit, then either Umesh Yadav or Navdeep Saini will take his place. Yadav looks a more likely candidate at the moment because of his experience of 45 Tests.
Sharma, who was the best Indian bowler on view with figures of 5/68 in 22.2 overs against New Zealand in Wellington, joined the team before the series after recovering sufficiently from a grade three tear on his right ankle sustained during a Ranji Trophy game against Vidarbha.
He was expected to be out for six weeks but apparently made a “miraculous recovery” at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) under physio Ashish Kaushik. He looked in good rhythm despite battling fatigue and jet lag as he arrived in Wellington from Bengaluru barely 72 hours before the start of the first Test.
WAGNER BACK TO TEST INDIA BATTING
Their pride bruised and technique exposed in adverse conditions, India’s batting line-up will face its hour of reckoning against a New Zealand pace attack, threatening to be relentless with its short ball tactic in the second Test starting Saturday.
The ignominy of a three-day defeat in a World Test Championship encounter has certainly jolted a batting line-up that prides itself in performing in tough conditions. And none other than coach Ravi Shastri is first to agree. “A shakeup like this is good as it opens your mindset. When you are on the road all the time and have not tasted defeat, it can close your mindset,” Shastri was forthright in his admission that complacency had crept in somewhere.
Come Saturday, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane will face an even tougher test on a green top at the Hagley Oval where the Black Caps have won all but one Test.
With Neil Wagner, a peerless practitioner of the short-ball tactic, joining Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Kyle Jamieson in aiming for the rib cage from round the wicket, there will be more probing questions on offer during the next five days. One good news for India was that Prithvi Shaw was back in the nets with an extensive session under watchful eyes of the coach and some valuable tips from the skipper. “Prithvi is ready to go,” the coach cleared the air on the opener’s fitness.
What the team would want is one among Aninkya Rahane,
Hanuma Vihari and Cheteshwar Pujara to show intent as their identical defensive game is bound to put too much pressure on skipper Kohli. The visitors, in all likelihood, will have one change in the playing XI from the last Test with R Ashwin likely to lose his spot to Ravindra Jadeja.
“You look at the conditions and also check how much a spinner would bowl. Ashwin is a world-class bowler but I guess he would be disappointed with his batting,” Shastri’s answer was a giveaway.
For New Zealand, it could be an all-pace attack considering Ajaz Patel, the specialist left arm spinner, had precious little to do at the Basin Reserve. With Wagner getting his place back, the team management would find it difficult to bench Jamieson who was Man of the Match award on Test debut.