Upcoming South Africa Tour Might Be Ishant Sharma's Last Series - Reports

Indian pace bowler Ishant Sharma might be playing his last series when the Indian team tours South Africa this December. The 33-year-old has had plenty of fitness issues and with the depth in the pace bowling department that India has, he is currently running on borrowed time.

According to a report in the Indian Express, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara’s spots in the side are also under scrutiny and a failure in the South Africa Tests could also mean curtains for them. If they succeed, however, there is a possibility that their careers might be extended.

“Rahane’s removal as vice-captain is a clear warning signal to him. As a senior member in the side, he needs to contribute more. The same is true for Pujara also. He too has been around for a long time and now the team expects him to play those crucial knocks in big games. In case they score and have a significant impact on the series, they might be able to extend their Test careers. But in the case of Ishant, this could be it,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying to the Indian Express.

The rise of Mohammed Siraj has also put Ishant under an immense amount of pressure. Ishant’s form in home matches is not up to the mark but he continues to lead the pace attack in foreign conditions with great effect. If he can maintain his fitness and improve his performance at home, the 33-year-old might get another lifeline.

The BCCI announced the Indian squad for the Test series against South Africa. There were no surprises but the injuries to Ravindra Jadeja, Shubman Gill, and Axar Patel did dent the strength of the squad. Nevertheless, the talent pool is quite massive and the BCCI had plenty of options to name replacements.

India’s squad for Test series against South Africa:

Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravi Ashwin, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj.

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