5 Indian cricketers whose injuries cost the team dearly
Injuries. Something which sportspersons can't escape from, can't anticipate and in some cases, can end careers. In the last fortnight or so, a few Indian players have been in the news for being at the wrong end of it and as a result, the team has had to bring in newer players to fill in the void, left by them.
In the past, there have been other instances as well when the team suffered because of key injuries to players because of the kind of impact, mostly negative, it had on the eventual result.
Here are 5 Indian cricketers whose injuries proved costly for the team:
Ishant Sharma- 2014 tour of England
Going into a five-match Test series as the underdogs, India knew they had to punch above their weights to beat England in their own backyard with a young side, most of whom had not played there in the past.
After drawing the game at Trent Bridge, India encountered a green seamer in the second Test at Lord's. The batsmen did their part superbly to set England a total of 319 for a win.
They seemed on course for a win on the final day, but after lunch, Ishant Sharma decided it was time to step up his game. Through a series of rising deliveries, he removed one England batsman after another and eventually helped India win the game with career-best figures of 7 for 74.
However, that proved to be his last moment of hurrah on tour as he suffered a 'sore leg' soon enough which ensured he missed the next two matches at The Rose Bowl and Old Trafford and India went on to lose both those matches by heavy margins to let off the series lead and trail 1-2 heading into the fifth Test.
When Ishant did return for that game, the team's morale had taken a 180-degree turn for the worse and even his return could not save a demoralized bunch from going down 3-1 in the series.