Kohli welcomes Ishant’s return ahead of second Test

India skipper Virat Kohli has welcomed the return of pacer Ishant Sharma, who is set to feature in the second Test match at Bengaluru after serving a one-Test suspension. Ishant had grabbed eight wickets is his previous international fixture - the third Test at Sri Lanka - but was forced to miss the first Test against South Africa.

The 27-year-old is hopeful that the Chinnaswamy Stadium will attract bigger crowds than that witnessed at Mohali.

India skipper Virat Kohli has welcomed the return of pacer Ishant Sharma, who is set to feature in the second Test match at Bengaluru after serving a one-Test suspension. Ishant had grabbed eight wickets is his previous international fixture - the third Test at Sri Lanka - but was forced to miss the first Test against South Africa.

Ishant brings in a lot of experience. He has bowled well in sub-continent conditions, he knows how to bowl reverse-swing, and he can lead the pace attack. I would rather have a guy who will give me control in an important time in the game rather than someone who will just get the overs out of way.

“Ishant brings in a lot of experience. He has bowled well in sub-continent conditions, he knows how to bowl reverse-swing, and he can lead the pace attack. I would rather have a guy who will give me control in an important time in the game rather than someone who will just get the overs out of way. Ishant brings a lot to the table - given the way he is bowling and the way that he bowled in Sri Lanka,” Kohli said here on Friday.

The 27-year-old is hopeful that the Chinnaswamy Stadium will attract bigger crowds than that witnessed at Mohali. “We hope that more people come to watch this match, because it is part of an exciting series between two exciting and strong teams. Obviously, you like playing in front of full stadiums and full crowds, but eventually you have to focus on the ball that is bowled to you,” he said.

Kohli believes that if pitches are prepared to produce a result, more fans can be expected at match venues. “Rather than criticising pitches and calling it unfair, we should be delighted that we are getting result-oriented wickets, because then you will have more people coming in to watch Test matches,” he said.

When asked if the overcast conditions will force the team management to make personnel changes, Kohli replied: “It does make you think about changing the combination to a certain extent.”