Boost For India As Ishant Sharma Set To Be Fit For New Zealand Tour: Report

Senior India pacer Ishant Sharma is reportedly in contention to make it to the Test squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand. According to earlier reports, the veteran pacer was ruled out of the tour after injuring his ankle earlier this week while playing for Delhi against Vidarbha in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.

The reports claimed that the right-arm pacer had suffered a grade 3 tear and would miss out on playing the series.  The injury happened in the fifth over of Vidarbha’s second innings and Ishant Sharma’s third over. Ishant Sharma suffered the injury when he slipped while appealing vociferously for a lbw decision. As soon as he slipped, he was in pain and needed immediate medical help before leaving the field.

Still a chance:

Well, all is not for the team and the player as Mumbai Mirror has reported that Ishant Sharma’s situation is not so hopeless after all. The India pacer still stands a chance of recovering for the two Tests against the Black Caps.

A BCCI official, in knowledge of his state of injury, has informed the news outlet  that there is a chance that he could recover in time. According to an internal mail circulated among the concerned authorities, the veteran pacer has been asked to go to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore for assessment/rehabilitation and is likely to be a part of the Test team. The report claimed that the officials are positive about the bowler.

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The team-management would be hoping that Ishant Sharma recovers for the upcoming challenging series. Ishant Sharma was the Man of the Match in India’s last Test assignment which was the historic pink-ball Test against Bangladesh in November.

Meanwhile, the selectors are yet to announce the Test squad for the upcoming series. No date has been fixed for the announcement of the squad but in reality, the squad has already been finalised with one spot – third opener’s position – left hanging. According to report, one among KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw would make it to the squad.