Will Ishant Sharma solve Team India’s paradox at Leeds?

As India go into the 5th and final test of the Investec series at the Kensington Oval, all they are missing are bowlers who can take wickets and batsmen who can stay on the crease and bat. That is a sorry state of affairs for a former world no. 1 team. Geoffrey Boycott puts it more bluntly while talking to the BBC- “...Because, if you think it through, their best batsmen, Virat Kohli hasn’t made a run on this tour and Cheteshwar Pujara, who’s their go-to-man at number three, he hasn’t made any runs either. And Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was nipping the ball on the green-top at Lord’s, he looks as if he is absolutely knackered and is bowling slower and slower.” India has definitely missed Ishant Sharma, the bowler who literally swung India to a historic victory in the 2nd test of the series at Lord’s.
But isn’t it Moeen Ali who is winning it for England?
That’s a paradox this series has created for India. The Indian batsmen known to be the best players of spin are faltering to Ali’s persistent line, length and the flight. If there is one thing that the Indian team is lacking at the moment, it is persistence. If the long and tiring part of the tour makes the team lose 2 of its strike bowlers, then the Indian team needs to rework on its fitness. At the beginning of the 3rd test, the pre-match report came in with a surprise that Ishant Sharma would not play due to a “sore ankle”. This led to the debut of Pankaj Singh, a promising bowler who played for Rajasthan in the Ranji circuit. Was Pankaj Singh prepared for his debut before the start of the tour or well before the start of the 3rd test match? He hasn’t made his mark in the series yet.

Will Ishant be back in the Leeds test?

Come Friday August 15th, the 5th test will begin at Headingly, Leeds.  There are a good number of chances that Ishant Sharma will fully recover and come back into the side. Overall in this series, Ishant Sharma has bowled 85 overs taking 10 wickets. His consistency in the second innings at Lord’s was phenomenal which aptly rewarded him with 7 wickets. Will he be able to come back with the same consistency, is a tough question to answer. The Indian team right now needs his contribution more than ever to level the series and save themselves from another humiliating defeat overseas.

Ravindra Jadeja dropping Cook on 15 in Southampton changed the course of the series against India. The batsmen throwing away their wickets in Manchester sealed the fate for the team’s humiliating defeat. The bowlers have been better of the battered lot. If India is to avenge its humiliating defeat and prove that they are not awful tourists, M.S Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher have to go back to the drawing table.  India should identify its strength and leverage it to their advantage.  Ishant Sharma will have to play a major role in that strategy.