IND v AUS 2020: Steve Smith believes Ishant Sharma's absence will be a big loss for India
Australian star batsman Steve Smith believes India will miss senior pace bowler Ishant Sharma's experience in the upcoming four-match Test series. The lanky fast bowler picked up an injury during the IPL 2020 season, and was only recently ruled out of the India-Australia Test series set to begin on December 17.
''Ishant (Sharma) is probably a big loss for them. He has obviously played a lot of cricket now, and he is a good bowler. So yeah, maybe without him, their bowling attack may not be their strongest. I'm sure they would've loved him to play," Steve Smith said.
Ishant Sharma burst onto the scene with his impressive performance in Australia, back in 2007. Since then, he has been part of four tours Down Under, and he was a part of the Indian side which won the 2018-19 Border Gavaskar Test series by a 2-1 margin.
Ishant Sharma's current situation
It has been revealed that Ishant Sharma has started his training at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore as part of his rehabilitation process. Initially, it was assumed that the Delhi paceman could make the squad for the second half of the test series. However, BCCI have decided not to take a chance with his fitness and recently ruled him out of the upcoming Test series.
Ishant Sharma would have lined up alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in the playing XI, if he was fit. In the seamer's absence, it remains to be seen as to who India pick as the third seamer for the first Test.
As for Ishant Sharma, he'll want to get back to full fitness soon and cross the 300-wicket landmark in Test cricket. With 297 wickets from 97 appearances, the pacer will want to join Kapil Dev and Zaheer Khan in the club of Indian pacers who have picked up 300 wickets or more in Tests.