5 Bowlers Who Can Replace Ishant Sharma In The Indian Test Team

Ishant Sharma is a permanent pacer in the Test team of India. The right-arm pacer might not make it into the national side in ODI or T20I matches, but with his consistent show in the longer format, he is always present in the Test squad.

Sharma has played more than 100 Tests for India till now. The 32-year-old pacer has played 102 Tests and scalped 306 wickets in 183 innings at an average of 32.18. With 11 five-wicket hauls and 1 ten-wicket haul, Sharma is definitely a powerful Test bowler for India.

However, Ishant Sharma largely failed to make an impact during India vs New Zealand ICC World Test Championship final. The right-arm pacer could bag only 3 wickets in the match, as India totally failed to attack the Kiwi batsmen. India eventually lost the final by 8 wickets.

Moreover, since 2020, Sharma has only managed to pick 14 wickets in 10 innings, showing a downfall in his bowling attack.  There are few bowlers who have the ability to substitute Ishant Sharma in the Test side. Here we take a look at 5 bowlers who can replace Ishant Sharma in the Indian Test team.

5 Bowlers Who Can Replace Ishant Sharma In The Indian Test Team

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the first bowler in this list. Bhuvneshwar was injured in October last year and remained out of the field for few months. He later made an amazing comeback in the ODI and T20I series against England in March this year.

The 31-year-old Indian pacer also has a great record in Tests, with 63 wickets in 37 innings at an average of 26.09 with 4 five-wicket hauls. With his fabulous ability to swing and pick wickets, Bhuvneshwar can be a good option to replace Ishant Sharma in Tests.

T Natarajan

T Natrajan made his international debut for India last year during the Australia tour. The left-arm pacer had picked 3 wickets in 2 ODIs so far at an economy of 7.15. While in 4 T20Is, he accounts for 7 wickets at an average of 13.70. Natrajan is an emerging bowler for India who is giving consistent performances at the domestic as well as international level.

In the only Test he played against Australia, he picked 3 wickets. Being a left-arm pacer, Natrajan can give more bowling options in the pace category for the Indian team, which does not have a leading left-arm pacer in the squad currently. So, Natrajan can also be a fine option to replace Ishant Sharma.

Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj was another bowler who made his Test debut for India during the Australia Test series in December-January 2020-21. The right-arm pacer gained the limelight with his 5 wicket-haul in the 2nd innings of the 4th Test.

In 10 Test innings so far, Siraj accounts for 16 wickets at an average of 28.25. The 27-year-old has improved a lot of skills in his bowling in recent time, emerging as a lethal pacer. Siraj is another bowler who can replace Ishant Sharma in Tests.

Shardul Thakur

When top Indian pacers like Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah got injured during the Australia series, Shardul Thakur proved to be a crucial replacement. He picked 7 wickets in India vs Australia 4th Test at Gabba, Brisbane, which India won by 3 wickets to defeat Australia in the series 2-1. Later, Thakur also emerged as a strong pacer in the T20I and ODI series against England.

Now, he has also been picked for the 5-Match Test series against England in August-September this year. In 3 Test innings, Thakur accounts for 7 wickets at an average of 23.42. If he is given more opportunities in the Test team, he might prove to be an effective replacement for Ishant Sharma in the Test team.

Navdeep Saini

Navdeep Saini is the 5th bowler in this list who can replace Ishant Sharma in Tests. The right-arm pacer has played only 2 Test matches in which he accounts for 4 wickets in 4 innings. His First-Class stats reveal that he can be an effective bowler in Tests. In 48 First-Class matches, he accounts for 132 wickets in 83 innings at an average of 28.90.

The 28-year-old has also taken 4 five-wicket hauls in First-Class cricket. If given more opportunities in Tests, Navdeep Saini can emerge as a promising bowler for the Indian Test team.