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Chikungunya hits Team India, Ishant out of first Test
KANPUR: India pacer Ishant Sharma is ruled out of the first Test against New Zealand starting Thursday as he is recovering from chikungunya.
KANPUR: India pacer Ishant Sharma is ruled out of the first Test against New Zealand starting Thursday as he is recovering from chikungunya.
Ishant, whose disconcerting bounce and reverse swing have been effective weapons for India in recent times, has been prone to injury, missing out important matches series in the past. But while he has worked on and improved his fitness to weed out weak muscles, this time this illness has entrapped him, forcing him to miss the first Test.
The less empathetic are regaling themselves with jokes like his long legs were more exposed in shorts to mosquitoes during practice than others’ were. The dengue, chikungunya mosquitoes fly low, making exposed legs an obvious target.
On a serious note though, chikungunya has a long term effect on the joints. The pain in the joints, doctors say, doesn’t subside for months.
There is no word on whether Ishant will be fit for the rest of the series. But there is a possibility that he may miss it.
The disease has hit Delhi and Kanpur hard.
“Players from Delhi are suffering from this. In Kanpur, it is an issue but not as serious. But we are taking the precautions BCCI has suggested like fogging,” said an UPCA official.
The players are said to be carrying mosquito repellent sprays with them. Don’t be surprised if you find their arms covered too. Ishant, however, isn’t the only one suffering from the disease.
On Tuesday, Ashish Nehra revealed to HT that he too is down with chikungunya. “I have been down with it for the past few days,” he said.
In Ishant’s absence, the toss up for the second seamer is likely to be between Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav.
