India pacer Ishant Sharma was back playing competitive cricket after a month's lay-off but looked gingerly during Delhi's comfortable 62-run victory over Services in a North Zone leg match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, at Feroz Shah Kotla ground on Tuesday.
Published: Feb 28, 2012, 11:21 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 28, 2012, 11:21 PM (IST)
Ishant Sharma last played during the fourth Test match between India and Australia in Adelaide © Getty Images
New Delhi: Feb 28, 2012
India pacer Ishant Sharma was back playing competitive cricket after a month’s lay-off but looked gingerly during Delhi’s comfortable 62-run victory over Services in a North Zone leg match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, at Feroz Shah Kotla ground on Tuesday.
Incidentally, chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth had especially dropped in at the Kotla to watch Ishant bowl as he wanted to get an update on the erratic speedster’s fitness. Ishant sent down six overs getting one for 29 in the process.
Ishant last played at Adelaide during the fourth Test match between India and Australia. He had a disastrous tour where he got only six wickets in four Test matches and the general notion has been that he is not hundred percent fit.
On the day, Ishant bowled in two spells of four and two overs respectively. He got a wicket with his very second delivery when he bowled Jasvir Singh. However, he didn’t look very threatening after that and wasn’t seen exerting himself too much.
While another left-arm seamer Pawan Suyal who has made comeback after major knee surgery bowled his full quota of 10 overs, Ishant bowled lesser number of overs than skipper Rajat Bhatia who sent down nine overs of military medium stuff.
It is highly unlikely that Ishant who has never been an automatic choice in the limited overs version would be preferred even though senior-pro Zaheer Khan is likely to be rested for the Asia Cup.(PTI)
Brief Scores: Delhi 275/7 (Jagrit Anand 58, Shikhar Dhawan 54, P Bisht 50) bt Services 213 (Yashpal Singh 95, Ishant Sharma 1/29) won by 62 runs.
Points: Delhi 5, Services -1
