Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma is on-course for a timely recovery ahead of the Test series against Australia after leaving IPL 2020 after just one game for Delhi Capitals with an abdominal muscle tear.
According an ESPNCricinfo report, Ishant went through the first of two bowling spells at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday morning in the presence of Sunil Joshi, the chairman of selectors, and Rahul Dravid, the NCA chief. The report further added that BCCI observers believed that he was “looking good”.
Ishant, who was bowling in the interval of a corporate ODI game, not only bowled but also did few basic stretching routines, and then returned for a short fielding session, alternating between high and flat catches.
Ishant, named in the provisional squad for the Tests must be passed fit before flying out to Australia.
The pacer’s session on Wednesday was overlooked by Paras Mhambrey, the former India fast bowler who is also the head coach of India's Under-19 team and lasted about 45 minutes.
The report further added that Ishant will have another session once the corporate game is completed.
Ishant started from a short run-up but then proceeded to mark his normal run-up with a measuring tape after just three deliveries and bowled uninterrupted for the next 20 minutes, before taking a break to have a word with Mhambrey after which he proceeded to bowl his second spell.
The senior pro bowled at full tilt and swung the ball both ways, peppering the lone stump placed at the batting end.
He got a few deliveries to rear up from a length too and got them to carry nicely to the man placed behind the stump with a baseball mitt on, getting thumbs-ups more than once from Mhambrey.
This is his second major injury this year after he picked up an ankle injury that kept him out of the second Test. He is currently three matches short of becoming only the second Indian fast bowler to play 100 Test matches after Kapil Dev.
India will play two practice games in Sydney (December 6-8 and December 11-13) before travelling to Adelaide for the series-opening pink-ball Test, India's first day-night Test overseas.
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