India Playing XI vs SA: End of Ishant Sharma? – The veteran of 105 Test matches, Ishant Sharma, is struggling with his form. His lack of wickets has been a concern and has seen him sit out with Virat Kohli preferring Mohammed Siraj too often. In England, against New Zealand at home, Kohli’s go-to man was Siraj. That brings the question if he is not preferred on lively South African pitches, then is it the end of the road for Ishant Sharma? Follow India vs South Africa Live Updates on InsideSport.IN.
Despite leading India’s pace attack for a long time, Ishant Sharma’s recent form hasn’t boosted any confidence. He has been down on the pecking order with Siraj often preferred for his attacking intent.
India Playing XI vs SA: Ishant Sharma’s place on the line as Virat Kohli set to prefer Mohammed Siraj for 1st Test
After success in West Indies, Ishant Sharma has taken a backseat and hasn’t been the lead attacking bowler in Test. In the last two Tests, he has gone wicketless, raising doubts whether he is just a shadow of his former self. On the other hand, his competition is with Siraj, who has progressively impressed. In Australia, in England and at home, Siraj has been effective in getting wickets in difficult situations.
“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. 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 top BCCI official told The Indian Express.
India Playing XI vs SA 1st Test: Where does Ishant Sharma fit?
- Going by his form, he is likely to be benched. In the 4th Test against England, Ishant’s figures read 0/92. Against New Zealand at home, it was 0/55.
- His last fifer was against New Zealand in 2020.
- On lively South African pitch where there is carry and bounce, Ishant Sharma was supposed to be the best bowler but skipper Virat Kohli isn’t confident anymore.
- Inside BCCI, selectors and office bearers have already begun questioning Ishant Sharma’s selection and if Siraj gets the nod ahead of him, it is likely the end of the veteran. Apart from Siraj, he is also competing with the youngsters.
- Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur are automatic picks, leaving the last spot as a toss-up between Siraj and Ishant.
India Playing XI vs SA: Ishant Sharma’s place on the line as Virat Kohli set to prefer Mohammed Siraj for 1st Test
#TeamIndia had an intense nets session 💪🏻 at SuperSport Park 🏟️ in the build up to the first #SAvIND Test.
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— BCCI (@BCCI) December 20, 2021
The fact the India currently possess too many alternatives clearly sends a strong signal that Ishant might be on his last leg. In India’s current setup, Ishant’s competition is with Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav and Navdeep Saini while T Natarajan and Prasidh Krishna are also in the queue.
In South Africa, India are likely to go with four-pacer attack with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami leading the line with Shardul Thakur as the bowling all-rounder. The only place left is a toss-up between Ishant and Siraj with the latter likely to get the nod. And that could be the end of road for Ishant Sharma.
India Playing XI vs SA: Ishant Sharma’s place on the line as Virat Kohli set to prefer Mohammed Siraj for 1st Test
India’s Test squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Md. Siraj.
Standby Players: Navdeep Saini, Saurabh Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Arzan Nagwaswalla.
