Ishant Sharma looks in good shape ahead of tour Down Under

If the words of a BCCI observer is to be believed, Indian Test specialist Ishant Sharma “is looking good” after the lanky speedster bowled two long spells at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday under the watchful eyes of NCA chief Rahul Dravid and chairman of selectors Sunil Joshi. Ishant has been named in the preliminary Test squad but he has to prove his fitness before getting a nod from the bosses.

Ishant is recovering from an abdominal muscle tear which he sustained during the recently concluded IPL. Ishant bowled two long spells and most of it came at full tilt. These are promising signs for India going into a high octane test series. However, a final decision on his fitness will be taken afterwards. Ishant bowled on the side pitches for 45 minutes during the lunch break of a 50 overs side corporate cricket match and then bowled close to an hour following the conclusion of the match.

He also did his routine stretches and also returned for a brief fielding session of high and flat catches. One of the most vital cogs in the Indian pace attack in the longest format, Ishant is hoping to regain full fitness before the Australia series. What stood out as far as Ishant is concerned is the way he bowled. He didn’t look in any discomfort what so ever but it might be too early to come to a conclusion.

Sharma has been following his rehabilitation process at the National Cricket Academy at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. It was during his stint with the Delhi Capitals that he complained of a pain in the rib cage during a training session in Dubai. He had to pack his bags and return home after playing just a solitary match for DC this season.

If declared fit, Ishant can start bowling from November 18 following which he needs to prove his match fitness to travel Down Under. If proven match fit, Ishant will travel to Australia separately to join the team.

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Josh Hazlewood more than happy to play the opening Test in Gabba

Australia speedster Josh Hazlewood feels that Gabba could be the perfect venue to host the opening Test against India if the coronavirus crisis increases in Adelaide. As per reports, the COVID-19 cases in Adelaide has seen a surge in the last few days which might prompt the Australian cricket board to move the opening Test from Adelaide. As per the original schedule, Adelaide is slated to host the opening Test which will be India’s first day-night affair in foreign conditions. The neighbouring states have already closed their borders with South Australia. Hazlewood who will be a lynchpin in the Australian bowling attack in the upcoming Test series feels that it would be better for the fast bowlers to get the game out of the way in Brisbane before it gets too hot and starts favouring the batsmen. "It probably would be (the Gabba) to be fair. I think the longer we wait the hotter it gets up there so the quicks would all be happy to get that game done in early December. We obviously have a really good record (in Brisbane) and it's a great place to start," Hazlewood was quoted as saying to the reporters. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 spike has forced Test skipper Tim Paine into self-quarantine and the other players preparing for the Big Bash League has also been moved to a training camp on the coast of New South Wales. While Hazlewood is more than happy to play the opening Test in Gabba, the speedster feels that the Day-Night Test should only be played in Adelaide due to the nature of the wicket there. "He (curator Damian Hough) has got the wicket perfect at Adelaide for a pink-ball Test. A few grounds around Australia are too abrasive or too hard, such as the Gabba or Perth. Those wickets are too hard for a pink ball, it goes quite soft after a certain amount of time. "Could be red ball (first Test in) Melbourne or Brisbane or somewhere, then we head back to Adelaide later on in the summer. From all reports, we're still good for Adelaide but it can always change... hopefully they can get on top of it in the next week or two," Hazlewood said. India’s tour of Australia starts with the ODI series on November 27 followed by the 3-match T20I series and the Test series.

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VVS Laxman feels T Natarajan could be X factor for India in T20 World Cup

From warming the benches in IPL 2019 to getting an India call-up for the tough tour Down Under, Thangarasu Natarajan’s journey has been nothing short of a fairytale. Despite being on his maiden international tour, his Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor VVS Laxman spoke highly on the left-arm pacer and feels that he could be India’s X factor in theT20 World Cup slated to be played in India in 2021. Laxman said that Natarajan’s left-arm angle and his ability to bowl Yorkers on a consistent basis sets him apart from the rest of the Indian pacers. "With the T20 World Cup scheduled next year - if you look at the Indian team, it requires someone good at the death," Laxman was quoted as saying by The Hindu. "It is great to see the likes of Mohammed Shami and Navdeep Saini bowl with such confidence in the death. Natarajan being a left-armer will be the X-factor." Natarajan was a revelation in the recently concluded IPL and the way he rose through the ranks in a short span of time is simply commendable. He bowled Yorkers at will troubling majority of the top class batters. The highlight for Natarajan this season was the Yorker he bowled to AB de Villiers which castled his timbers. Meanwhile, Natarajan learnt to bowl the Yorkers while playing tennis ball cricket for his hometown Salem. He realized the fact that in order to keep the pace up, he needs to bowl Yorkers and the tennis balls tend to lose pace after getting hit on the clay surfaces. It must be noted that Natarajan bowled 71 yorkers in the IPL, 43 more than Karthik Tyagi, who was 2nd in the list. He ended the tournament with 16 wickets under his belt but his ability to contain in the death overs and consistently bowl in the blockholes made everyone take notice of the 29-year-old. "He has been doing well right from the practice matches before the IPL began in the UAE," Laxman said. "The kind of confidence level he showed right from the start was amazing. That is the reason why we gave him the chance ahead of Khaleel Ahmed and once Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) was ruled out with an injury, he became an important cog in the attack." Meanwhile, Laxman further stated that Natarajan's yorker skills were well known from the TNPL but he was pretty impressed with the variations that Natrajan have up his sleeve. Though he managed to make a name for himself with his yorkers, Natarajan also bowled the slower ones and the bouncers with some confidence. "Natarajan was always known for those yorkers - even in the TNPL (Tamil Nadu Premier League). But, I must say he's got a lot of variations which he didn't use in the IPL. He has a sharp bouncer, slower one, off-cutter, and has the wicket-taking ability with the new ball. "Essentially, Natarajan has the mindset and the confidence of executing yorkers which we generally believe to be the toughest to deliver. And, he has done consistently and exceedingly well through the IPL, the pick of them being the dismissal of RCB's AB de Villiers under pressure." "Natarajan is a hard-working cricketer who never missed a training session and is always wanting to work on his skills to be a much better bowler every day," Laxman said. "He has been doing really well in the TNPL, he was part of Kings XI Punjab, he did well consistently for Tamil Nadu in Ranji Trophy. "He didn't get too many opportunities in SRH (in 2018 and 2019) because of the likes of Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar being the frontline bowlers."

Mohammad Kaif feels R Ashwin can still be pivotal for India in T20Is

Former Indian cricketer and one of the finest fielders of all time, Mohammad Kaif is of the opinion that off-spinner and red ball specialist Ravichandran Ashwin can still be a lethal option for India in the shortest format of the game. Ashwin who plied his trade for the Delhi Capitals this season after being traded by the Kings XI Punjab went onto pick up 13 wickets in 15 matches which included some really big names. However, his consistent performances and his ability to pick up crucial wickets in the powerplays wasn’t enough to impress the national selectors and he was yet again overlooked from the limited-overs squad. He is currently in Australia with the Indian contingent and is preparing for the four-match Test series which will be followed by the T20I and the ODI series. “Virat, Rohit, Pollard, Gayle, Warner, QDK, Karun, Buttler, Smith, Paddikal, Pooran. Read and re-read @ashwinravi99’s list of big scalps from IPL 13, mostly in power plays. Feel Ash can still be a valuable asset for India in T20Is,” Kaif tweeted. The offie last played for India in the limited-overs format against West Indies back in 2017. After a relatively below par Champions Trophy, Ashwin alongside his reliable Test partner Ravindra Jadeja were dropped from the squad in favour of two wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. Jadeja forced his way back into the team when Hardik was injured and went onto cement his place. However, Ashwin couldn’t manage to break his way into the set-up and continues to be out of the limited-overs set up. He has developed quite a few new deliveries up his sleeve to improve his repertoire but to no avail. Ashwin will be a vital cog for India in the 4 match Test series. He has been a wicket-taker per excellence in the longest format but is yet to prove his mettle in foreign conditions. With Kohli set to miss the last 3 Tests of the series, senior players like Ashwin have to step up to the occasion and deliver the goods for his country. However, it remains to be seen whether he does get a chance in the XI as India is all set to go with a lone spinner in the XI.