It will be too harsh on Ishant Sharma if we discuss his place in the side after just one Test match: Ashish Nehra

Ishant Sharma did not experience a good outing with the ball in the third Test match against England at Headingley. Sharma could not pick up even a single wicket in the 22 overs that he bowled in the Test, and also leaked runs in excess of 4 runs per over.

And, former Indian pacer Ashish Nehra has opined that it would be really harsh if people question Ishant Sharma after just one Test match. Stating that somebody asked Nehra as to whether Sharma has played his last Test for India at Headingley, the former Indian left-arm pacer admitted that he was surprised by the question.

Nehra further added that Ishant Sharma cannot be judged based on just one performance, and reckoned that India would not like to play different bowlers in every single Test match.

“It will be too harsh on Ishant Sharma if we judge and discuss his place in the side after just one Test match. Somebody asked me yesterday, was Headingley Test Ishant Sharma’s last? I was very surprised that somebody even asked me that question.

“You can’t judge someone like an Ishant Sharma on one game performance. Yes, we have good four-five bowlers and there is a competition there but you don’t want to see a different bowler in every Test match,” said Nehra in a media chat conducted by Sony Sports.

Ishant Sharma was not the reason why India lost at Headingley: Ashish Nehra

Ashish Nehra further added that even the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja bowl the odd no ball just like Ishant does. Admitting that Sharma was not in his best rhythm at Headingley, Nehra stated that Ishant Sharma was not the reason why India lost the Test match.

Nehra further stated that Sharma missed the first Test match due to a niggle, and added that the veteran right-arm pacer was back in the groove in the second Test match at the Lord’s Cricket Ground. The former Indian cricketer concluded by stating that only time will tell whether Ravichandran Ashwin will replace Ishant Sharma for the 4th rubber.

“Ishant is someone who bowls a no-ball here and there so do Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja. Yes, according to me, Ishant Sharma wasn’t looking in the best of the rhythms. We lost that Test match so we are discussing that more. Ishant’s rhythm was not the reason we lost it.

But don’t forget he missed the first game because of a niggle. In the second, it took him a while but because of experience of playing more than 100 Tests, he got back to his groove quickly and had a good Lord’s Test. Because of conditions in Oval, we might want Ashwin to get a game in place of a fast bowler, whether it is in place of Ishant or Siraj, only time will tell,” concluded Ashish Nehra.