5 reasons why India will miss Ishant Sharma

The first Test of the India-New Zealand will take place on Thursday without Ishant Sharma who has been ruled out of the game after failing to recover from chikungunya. The 28-year-old fast bowler has been one of the most consistent cogs in the Indian Test machine.

While he may not be universally loved and might even have more haters than fans, there is no denying the contribution that he has made to India, especially in the longest format of the game. And his unavailability is certain something Virat Kohli would have hoped to do without.

Here are 5 reasons why India will miss Ishant Sharma:

1. Loss of pace spearhead

Ishant Sharma may not be among the best fast bowlers in the world right now or even one of the best to have ever played for India but there is a responsibility that he has shouldered over the past few years, which is not always easy.

Being the leader of the pace attack is no easy task and especially if you are a fast bowler in India who has that responsibility then life isn’t going to be a bed roses for him. Yet, ever since he was given the mantle of leading the attack, the 28-year-old fast bowler has been nothing if not consistent and a threat to the batsmen.

And his loss now means that one of Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar or most likely, Mohammad Shami will have to take over and provide not only penetration with the new ball but also consistency and keep up the pressure before the spinners come in.

2. Untested new ball combination

One of the many responsibilities that Ishant Sharma had in the Test team was opening the bowling. With his ability to take the ball away from both right and left handers and extract extra bounce courtesy of his height, he was a menace even if conditions weren’t always conducive to fast bowling.

With Ishant being unavailable for the first Test, India will not only have to find a replacement but also will have a fresh new ball combination. Although Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have all taken the new ball for India in Tests, it was almost always Ishant at the other end taking the new ball with them.

While Shami is certain to start, he is just coming back from injury and while Bhuvi is a better new ball bowler, it looks like that Umesh will get the nod thanks to his extra pace and that means India will have two bowlers, who might go for runs and let the opponents get off to a good start, even if they pick up wickets.

3. Need to find another workhorse in the fast bowling department

Bowling in Indian is not easy, especially if you are a fast bowler. While conditions predominantly favour the spinners, it can be disheartening at times to bowl long spells without little or no reward, which is precisely why not a lot of fast bowlers succeed in India.

In Ishant, India finally managed to find a fast bowler who not only threatened the batsmen when there was something in the pitch for the fast bowlers. But his biggest advantage was his ability to bowl long spells and keep up the pressure with tight spells. In his 25 home Tests, he only picked up 63 wickets but his economy rate was under 3, his best in any country.

In his absence, India will need to find someone else to fill that void and although spinners will be bowling the majority of the overs, they still need a fast bowler to bowl from one end to create rough area for them to exploit. And while Shami and Umesh have more pace, they aren’t always economical and that is a concern, especially with Bhuvneshwar not having a lot of experience of bowling in Tests in India.

4. Lack of experience in the pace attack

With 19 Tests under his belt, Umesh is the most experienced pacer

India’s bowling line-up will be dominated by spin but Virat Kohli’s preference for a five-man bowling attack will mean that he is likely to go in with a three-two combination when it comes to spinners and fast bowlers. With Ishant Sharma’s unavailability, he has to pick between Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami.

A veteran of 72 Tests, the 28-year-old’s loss will mean that the hosts will be without the experience that comes with playing more than 50 Tests. The fact that Bhuvneshwar, Umesh and Shami have only combined for just 49 Tests merely highlights the void that will be left by Ishant’s absence.

Shami has only played 16 Tests and is only just getting back to the rigors of international cricket after his return from injury, while Bhuvneshwar and Umesh haven’t been regular members of the Indian and it will be a battle between the pair to get the final spot.

5. Have New Zealand’s chances increased?

Ishant has a very good record against NZ

While it is true that New Zealand’s main threat in the upcoming series against India will come from the spin department, they will certainly breathe a huge sigh of relief at not having to face a bowler who has been very successful against them in Tests.

Ishant Sharma may not have the same impact in India that he might have had in New Zealand when he played against the Kiwis but his consistency and previous performances against the visitors will mean that the Black Caps will have a better chance when they take on India in the first which begins on Thursday.

With 30 wickets in 6 Tests against the Kiwis at an average of 25.6, it is fair to say that Ishant enjoyed playing against the side that will be led by Kane Williamson and will be hoping to get back to full fitness as soon as possible and play against statistically his favorite opponent.