[M@zh@R]

Ishant Sharma doubtful for 1st Test



NEW DELHI/CANBERRA: Nightmares from the England tour are back to haunt India. With nine days to go before the first Test against Australia, it has emerged that pace bowler Ishant Sharma may be a doubtful starter because of his ankle injury. Reports indicated the team management had given itself a day to decide if they need a cover for the seamer from Delhi.

Ishant is expected to play a leading role in Australia, given an inexperienced bowling lineup and the fact that spearhead and 79-Test veteran Zaheer Khan is returning from a long injury layoff.

If Ishant, with experience of 41 Tests and a previous Australia tour, is out, it will be a severe setback for Dhoni's team. India will then be left with Umesh Yadav (2 Tests), Vinay Kumar (yet to debut) and A Mithun (4 Tests) in the pace department.

With his ankle injury flaring up, pacer Ishant Sharma's predicament has shaped up to be uncannily similar to Zaheer Khan's short stint in England.

Zaheer had hardly bowled in the tour opener against Somerset and then pulled up with a hamstring injury after bowling a few overs in the opening Test at Lord's.
Newspaper:Times Of India,18th Dec