Senior India pacer Ishant Sharma is all set to undergo a fitness test at National Cricket Academy (NCA) in next couple of days. As per a report in Mumbai Mirror, Ishant will undergo the test either on February 13 or 14. If fit, he will join other Test players in New Zealand while Ishant will have wait to until December to play his next Test match.
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The right-arm pacer suffered an ankle injury during a Ranji Trophy fixture against Vidarbha last month. Initial reports suggested that he was ruled out of the tour as he needed around six weeks to get fit. BCCI though was confident and the selectors included Ishant in the Test squad.
He has been training at NCA for a while now and would hope to clear the fitness test. His availability will be a big boost to the pace attack which struggled against New Zealand win the white-ball fixtures.
Despite Jasprit Bumrah’s presence, Ishant will be leading the pace attack in New Zealand. Mohammed Shami will get the nod while both Umesh Yadav and Navdee Saini will have wait for their chance. If Ishant isn’t fit, then Bumrah will lead the pace attack. Umesh will part of playing XI in this case.
As for now, Ishant is confirmed to miss the practice match against New Zealand A that starts on February 14. Team India is likely to go in with a strong line-up in the practice match and might only play those 11 players who will be part of the playing XI in Tests (if it’s a first-class fixture).
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The first Test of the series takes place at Basin Reserve in Wellington from February 21. Hagley Oval will host the second Test and the final fixture of the tour from February 29.
India whitewashed the hosts in the five-match T20I series but lost all the three ODIs next.