Recharged Ishant flares up again
COLOMBO: If India win their first Test series in Sri Lanka after 22 years, it will be seen as Ishant Sharma’s coming of age. His consistency, pace, fitness and bowling temperament in the series and the way he has exploited the seaming conditions at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground have got India close to winning their first away series since the 2011 West Indies tour.
But temperament has let down the senior-most Test player in the squad after Harbhajan Singh. His dismissal of Lahiru Thirimanne and Dinesh Chandimal in the second Test were crucial for victory, but send-offs to both saw him being fined 65 per cent of his match fee. His involvement in the incidents on Day 3 and 4 is likely to invite more severe censure from ICC match referee Andy Pycroft.
For the third major Test series in a row, India have been caught in unsavoury incidents. The dressing room corridor clash between James Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja blighted the England tour last year. In Australia, on-field exchanges involving Virat Kohli and David Warner were not pretty.
Here, it started on Sunday when Rangana Herath went to remonstrate with Ishant after the bowler seemed to say something to debutant Kusal Perera, who was flaying the bowling. Ishant dismissed him but the batsman seemed to have been provoked as he returned to confront the bowler. Perera was persuaded to leave by Ajinkya Rahane.
Although Ishant’s first ball bouncer to opposite number Dhammika Prasad forced him to retire hurt, when he returned with the left hand in bandage, the India pacer walked up to enquire if all was fine. Obviously, it was not.
Prasad fired in three bouncers in a row and Ishant responded by knocking on his helmet while taking a single, taunting Prasad. Chandimal added fuel to fire by brushing past Ishant.
When Ishant ran towards the dressing room after the innings ended and Prasad scampered after him, there was worry it could lead to a physical confrontation. TV images showed the two head to their dressing rooms.
Ishant exploded again when he ran up to yell at Upul Tharanga’s face after dismissing him first over. With umpires watching closely, he banged his head after having Chandimal caught.