IND vs ENG 2021: Why Ishant Sharma is not playing today?
India have gone with a new, four-pronged seam attack for the first Test against England but the senior-most pacer, Ishant Sharma, hasn't found a place in the playing XI.
The 32-year-old, who is also India's third-most successful pacer, is not 100 percent fit to play for five days. While the exact nature of the injury is unclear, he suffered a tear in his bowling hand during the World Test Championship (WTC) final and required multiple stitches.
Mohammed Shami will lead the pace attack in his absence, flanked by Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur. Virat Kohli opted to bowl first at Trent Bridge on a wicket with a substantial amount of grass. In this regard, the Indian skipper said:
"Our bowling combination is: Bumrah, Shami, Thakur, Siraj and Jadeja as the spinner. You could call it an accumulation of all the hardwork we have put in over the years. The opportunity to win in England and Australia in the same year is rare. To get opportunities in such times to play and play in front of crowds as well, we are grateful."
Ishant Sharma picked up three wickets and was among the most economical in the low-scoring WTC final.
Overall, he has played 102 Tests for India, collecting 306 wickets at an average of just over 32. Only Kapil Dev (434) and Zaheer Khan (311) have more scalps to their names among Indian pacers. In England, Ishant Sharma has played 13 Tests, taking 46 wickets, including a career-best 7/74 at Lord's.
Will Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur fill Ishant Sharma's shoes?
While both Siraj and Thakur are fairly new to Test cricket, the duo have enough experience of domestic competitions and India 'A' tours to put their hand up in Ishant Sharma's absence for this game.
Both were instrumental in India's victory over Australia and will look to continue their rise in the pecking order. Siraj will enjoy the swing available on the first day while Shardul, who didn't make the 15-man squad for the WTC final, will also have an eye on contributing with the bat in the lower order.