"I would always be wary" - Steve Harmison on Ishant Sharma batting at No. 8
Steve Harmison believes that the Indian tail, which has Ishant Sharma batting at No. 8, will be a bit too long if the Virat Kohli-led side opts for the same bowling combination in the Headingley Test against England.
Team India fielded four specialist seamers - Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj along with Ishant Sharma - in the Lord's Test. Ravindra Jadeja was the only frontline spinner in their playing XI.
During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Steve Harmison was skeptical about India's lower-order batting if they stick to the same playing XI. He explained:
"If I was an Indian fan I would always be wary that in English conditions the way the ball moves, having Ishant Sharma bat at No. 8 gives you a long long tail especially if he comes in challenging conditions from overhead."
However, the former England pacer added that the tactic would work if the Indian batsmen can deliver the goods. Harmison said:
"You back your bowlers to take wickets and you back your batsmen to score runs. India did that at Lord's and they won that Test match, rightly so. They would be hopeful they do exactly the same up at Leeds."
India were in a spot of bother in the second Test at Lord's before Bumrah and Shami bailed them out of trouble with an unbroken 89-run partnership. They will expect their batsmen to score the majority of the runs and not rely too much on their lower order.
"Ishant Sharma wasn't looking 100% fit to me" - Maninder Singh
On being asked to choose between Ishant Sharma and Shardul Thakur, Maninder Singh observed that it would depend on the former's fitness. The former Indian left-arm spinner pointed out:
"No, it depends if Ishant Sharma is 100% fit as well because in the last Test match in the second innings, the way he was bowling, he wasn't looking 100% fit to me. But if Ishant Sharma is 100% fit, I think I would go in with Ishant Sharma and use his experience because he got you wickets at an important time."
Singh signed off by stating that the Indian team management is likely to stick with Ishant Sharma if he is fit enough to take the field. He elaborated:
"I thought he wasn't fit enough, the way he was strolling to the wicket. But that experience counted. So, if he is even 90% or maybe 80% fit, I think the Indian think tank is going to go in with Ishant Sharma."
Ishant Sharma snared five wickets across the two innings of the Lord's Test. His dismissals of Haseeb Hameed and Jonny Bairstow before tea gave Team India the required impetus going into the final session of the Test match.