3 Quicks who can replace Ishant Sharma for NZ Tests

1. Navdeep Saini

In August last year, Navdeep Saini made his debut for India in tests in the West Indies and impressed the world right away with his brute pace. He was also picked for the maiden Test in the one-off game versus the minnows Afghanistan back in June 2018. He replaced Mohammed Shami but didn’t get a chance to make it to the first eleven.

The seamer recently recovered from a groin injury and must to be raring to shatter the stumps. In first-class cricket, the 27-year-old has 125 wickets in 45 matches with four five-wicket hauls to his name.He hits the deck hard, generating speeds in excess of 150 kph. He can be a like-for-like replacement for Ishant.

2. Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur has been a consistent performer in the first-class level for Mumbai since 2012. He has picked up 206 wickets in 62 matches with 12 five-wicket hauls. As a reward for these impressive numbers, he was rewarded with a national call-up in the tour of Sri Lanka in 2017. In October 2018, the right-armer got to represent his nation in Test cricket. 

Thakur was in and out of the team due to inconsistent performances, but recently he had been showing great promise and consistency in white-ball cricket for the Men in Blue. Thakur’s impressive numbers in red-ball cricket shows that he has what it takes to succeed at the highest level as well. He can replace Ishant and can also be the apt partner for rest of the Indian pacers if he can convert his white-ball form for India to the red ball.

3. Sandeep Warrier

Sandeep Warrier has been grinding through first-class cricket for the last 8 years. The 28-year-old possesses 182 first-class wickets in 102 innings, which speaks volumes about his talent.

Warrier has been a consistent performer, who can deceive the batsman with swinging deliveries, that can move either of the ways. However, this is the best chance for the selectors to give him an opportunity, since he is in splendid form and presently with the India A team touring New Zealand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC9r9ziJ0a8

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