Virat Kohli Opens Up Present Fitness Status Of Ishant Sharma

Feb 19, 2020 at 6:24 PM

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Virat Kohli Opens Up Present Fitness Status Of Ishant Sharma

Two days ahead of the beginning of the Test series against the hosts New Zealand, the Indian captain Virat Kohli spoke about the team. He also opened up the senior pacer Ishant Sharma’s present fitness status.

In the ongoing New Zealand tour, while the visitors India whitewashed the hosts in the five-match T20I series, they tasted the same thing in the subsequent three-match ODI series in this tour. From 21st February, New Zealand and India will play the two-match Test series, which will also be the part of the 2019-21 ICC World Test Championship.

The 31-year-old Ishant Sharma has just returned to the Test side after recovering from the ankle injury. He missed the earlier three-day tour game and joined the side lately after confirming his improvement in fitness.

Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma (Image Credit: Google)

Virat Kohli believes that Ishant Sharma is fit enough and ready to play the opening game of the Test series in this tour at Wellington. The Indian captain feels that Ishant’s experience will be useful for the team in this Test series.

Kohli said, “He (Ishant) looked pretty normal and pretty similar to what he was bowling before the ankle injury. He is hitting good areas again and he has played (Test cricket) in New Zealand couple of times, so his experience will be useful to us. It was really good to see him bowling with pace and in good areas.”

Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal are likely to open for India in the upcoming Test series, Virat Kohli hinted

After playing the ODI series of this tour, youngster Prithvi Shaw is ready to return to the Test cricket in the upcoming Test series. Indian skipper Virat Kohli has hinted to start their innings with Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal in the Wellington Test.

Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal
Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal (Image Credit: Getty Images)

Kohli said, “Prithvi is a talented player and he has his own game and we want him to follow his instincts and play the way he does. Look, these guys have no baggage and are not desperate to perform in any manner.

“They don’t have any nerves to do well overseas. Like a clear head with which Mayank played in Australia, Prithvi can do the same in New Zealand.

“A bunch of guys playing with fearlessness, something that can motivate the whole team, gives us start that the team wants and not get intimidated by the opposition in any way.”

During West Indies tour of India 2018/19, Prithvi Shaw made his Test debut and played two Tests. He scored 237 runs in that series, including a century in debutant innings and one more half-century, and won the Player of the Series award. Though he toured in Australia with the national team for the next Test series, the youngster was ruled out due to an ankle injury.

On the other hand, Mayank Agarwal made his Test debut during India tour of Australia 2018/19, after replacing injured Prithvi Shaw. The right-handed opening batsman was the most Test run-scorer for India in the last year.

Though Mayank failed to impress in his first ODI series, which he played in ongoing New Zealand tour, the captain is still confident on him.

Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli (Image Credit: Google)

Kohli added, “Prithvi, I think you can call him relatively inexperienced and Mayank, I wouldn’t call him that inexperienced because he has scored a lot of runs last year. So he understands what his game is like in Test cricket.

“I think sometimes in white ball cricket we try to do too much but once you come into red ball cricket, you fall into that disciplined mode of batting, which obviously suits him much more at this stage.”

Virat Kohli remained silent on the wicketkeeping debate between Wriddhiman Saha and Rishabh Pant. Talking about the bowling attacks, Kohli wants to add one spinner along with the top Indian pacers.

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