Ishant Sharma set to miss the second Test against New Zealand

India will lock horns against New Zealand for one final time on the tour in the second Test at Hagley Oval starting on Saturday. They are 0-1 behind in the series and would be looking to improve their show in order to level the contest. However, ahead of the must-win game, India have been dealt with a huge blow as their ace pacer Ishant Sharma is set to miss the Test match due to an injured right ankle.

Ishant was the only positive for India in an otherwise forgettable first Test. He picked five wickets in the first innings and had played a crucial role in reducing the hosts to 225/7. Moreover, he had played the game after flying from India only two days ahead of the series opener.

The reason for Ishant Sharma’s arrival getting delayed was the ankle injury which he had sustained while playing a Ranji Trophy game for Delhi. However, he passed the fitness test on February 15 much to the relief of the team management and flew to New Zealand soon.

Recurrence of the ankle injury leads to Ishant missing the training

According to Cricbuzz, the recurrence of the right ankle injury has led to Ishant Sharma missing the training session on Thursday. Interestingly, the veteran seamer was bowling well in the nets ahead of the Test. But on Thursday, after bowling for 20 minutes, he complained of pain in the same ankle to the management. On the eve of the match, Ishant was sent for the tests as well, the results of which are awaited.

Umesh Yadav will most likely replace the lanky pacer as head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun were seen having a long chat with him during the net session on Friday. However, it has also been learnt that team India has decided to take a decision on Ishant Sharma as late as possible given that he is the most experienced bowler in the side.

He is also a holding bowler in the line-up who keeps it tight and makes sure the batsmen don’t get easy runs. If Ishant indeed misses out, which will most likely happen, the dynamics of the entire bowling attack will change as Ravindra Jadeja might get preferred over Ashwin. The left-arm pacer can bowl long spells and keep the run-scoring down as well apart from his exceptional batting skills at 8.