Ishant gets his ankle checked by doctor

Canberra: Amid growing concerns over his fitness, Indian pacer Ishant Sharma is learnt to have got his troublesome ankle checked by a doctor.

The Indian camp though maintained that there was nothing serious with Ishant who walked off the field after bowling just 5.3 overs on the opening day of the first practice match against CA Chairman`s XI yesterday in the run-up to the first Test on December 26. "There is no worry on him. He had some discomfort while bowling and he has seen a doctor. Hopefully he should be fit before the first Test," said batsman Rohit Sharma who scored 56 at the Manuka Oval on Friday. Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan and the team management had yesterday sought to underplay the situation by stating that Ishant couldn`t complete his sixth as he had to remove some strapping from his ankle that had loosened and become uncomfortable. "He was to bowl only six overs anyway," was what Zaheer had said. The possibility of Ishant featuring in the next warm-up match starting Monday is less and the team management is now hoping that he recovers completely before the Melbourne Test. The spate of injuries has once again raised its ugly head before an important series. During the team`s disastrous tour of England earlier this year when they failed to win a single match, India lost a lot of important players to injuries. Praveen Kumar and Varun Aaron are already on the injured list and everyone is hoping Ishant, and for that matter Zaheer, don`t join them. If all is not well with Sharma, it must boost the spirit of the beleaguered Australians whose skills against the swinging deliveries are under a severe attack. Coach Micky Arthur has even organised a batting camp for his out-of-sorts batsmen. Sharma, if he gets his rhythm going, makes the ball gain height and seam awkwardly. He has accounted for Australia`s most experienced batsman, Ricky Ponting, on no less than six occasions. The 23-year-old Sharma, who has taken 128 wickets from 41 Tests, injured his left ankle during the third Test against England at Edgbaston. PTI