Ankle tear rules Ishant Sharma out of New Zealand Tests

Ishant Sharma, the Indian fast bowler, has been ruled out of the Test series against New Zealand, starting February 21 in Wellington. The 31-year-old has developed a Grade 3 ankle tear during Delhi’s Ranji Trophy match against Vidarbha at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Ishant’s development was put forth by the  Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).

The pacer injured himself while appealing on his follow through. He lost his balance and fell on the ground, wincing in pain. Then he was treated with medical attention after which he hobbled off the park with the help of the support staff. One of the staff members said that Ishant found it tough to even keep his foot on the ground and the situation wasn’t a pleasant one for the pacer.

Ishant Sharma not having fracture

Ishant’s MRI scans has revealed the gravity of the injury and he has been asked to rest along with rehabilitation. “Ishant Sharma’s MRI report shows a Grade 3 ankle tear and it is serious. He has been advised six weeks of rest and rehabilitation. It is indeed a big blow,” Vinod Tihara, DDCA’s general secretary was quoted as saying in The Times of India (TOI).

It’s also been learned that once he gets his foot back in shape, Ishant will be travelling to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. “Luckily there is no fracture. There is an ankle tear. The moment he is in a position to walk, he will travel to NCA,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said that the speedster will have another MRI scan later. “It’s a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in BCCI as we will again do his MRI to ascertain degree of tear and decide on his rehabilitation,” the source said.

Prior to the match versus Vidarbha, Ishant played a game against Hyderabad where he picked up four-wicket hauls in both innings. For the tour of New Zealand, Navdeep Saini, Ishant’s Delhi teammate, is likely to replace him. Saini has been part of previous Test squads, but never got a chance. The fast bowler has played ODI and T20I cricket though.