Ishant ruled out of fourth Test

India

India will be without fast bowler Ishant Sharma for the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford next week, after he missed the third match and failed to recover ahead of the Manchester game.

India will be without fast bowler Ishant Sharma for the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford next week, after he missed the third match and failed to recover ahead of the Manchester game.

Ishant was sorely missed in Southampton as England's batsmen went to town against a toothless India attack, where Bhuvneshwar Kumar looked to have a bit of an ankle niggle too. Pankaj Singh, on debut, went for 0/179, the worst debut figures in Test history.

Dhoni confirmed the Ishant news: "Definitely he won't be fit for the next game. Never really had a discussion with our physio, but as of now he won't be available for the fourth Test match."

Aside from Ishant's injury, wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha has been ruled out of action too, so Naman Ojha has been handed a maiden Test call up to be MS Dhoni's back up for the rest of the series.

BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said: "Wriddhiman Saha is injured and will soon return to India. Ojha will replace him as the back-up wicketkeeper."

Ojha has a first class average of over 42, and has been with India A recently and scored two centuries and a double ton in two matches in July, against Australia A.

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