Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar today said missing out on Ishant Sharma's services in the ongoing third Test at Southampton has hurt the team in the ongoing match.
"Obviously, you want a form player to play throughout. You don't want the guy to miss out on any cricket when he is in form. It has hurt them a little bit and plus it was a good pitch. As long as India bat well, they will do okay in the third Test," Agarkar said at the launch of Zaheer Khan's company ProSport.
Ishant was ruled out of the third Test against England due to an ankle injury after a match winning performance at Lord's.
Senior India bowler Ashish Nehra hoped his Delhi team mate could be back in action in the remaining two matches.
"For any bowler picking up seven wickets in one innings is great. When a bowler is in form, it is always good for the team and the captain, especially in a five Test match series. Injury is something that he can't help. If India does well in this Test match, he will be available for the next two Test matches," Nehra said.
Agarkar said this tour would be good for the young crop of players as they would gain experience out of it.
"They don't have the experience of bowling in the overseas condition yet. They have played a lot of one-day cricket but Test cricket is different. They have been impressive so far in the series, specially Bhuvneshwar (Kumar) and then Ishant's match winning performance. So good signs if they can carry on the way they are at the moment," he said.
Nehra felt the visitors have a good chance of winning the series after leading 1-0 in the five-match Test series.
"India is playing five Test match series after so long. I remember the last time we played five Test matches, it was in West Indies in 2002. It is a long one. But after two Test matches India leading 1-0, definitely India has an upper hand so I hope we finish well," he said.
