Ishant opens up why Zaheer fell short of 100-Test mark

After nearly a decade since they last shared the Indian dressing room together, pacer Ishant Sharma reunited with former fast bowler Zaheer Khan, albeit in the commentary box.

Zaheer and Ishant were part of the JioCinema commentary team for the India-West Indies Test series, which concluded on Monday with Rohit Sharma’s men winning the series 1-0, and shared the box with the likes of spin legend Anil Kumble, former opener Aakash Chopra and spinner Pragyan Ojha.

In one their discussions in the commentary box, Chopra brought up the stats of Zaheer and Ishant and how both have largely similar numbers — 311 Test wickets with 11 five-wicket hauls. Ishant, though has more appearances to his credit, having played 105 Tests compared to Zaheer’s 92.

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When asked about Zaheer falling short of the 100-Test mark, Ishant narrated a light-hearted incident from India’s 2014 tour of New Zealand in which future superstar Virat Kohli had “ended” Zaheer’s career with a dropped catch.

“We were playing in New Zealand. Brendon McCullum had scored 300 runs and when Virat Kohli dropped a catch, I remembered that this happened around lunch. Virat said sorry to Zak and Zak said, ‘No worries, we’ll get him out.’ During tea, Kohli said sorry again and Zak told him not to worry. On the third day when Kohli apologized during tea, Zak told him, ‘You’ve ended my career!’,” said Ishant.

The incident Ishant was referring to took place during the second Test between New Zealand and India at Wellington’s Basin Reserve in which then-captain Brendon McCullum smashed a match-saving 302 after the Black Caps had conceded a 246-run first innings lead to the visitors.

McCullum had been dropped on 9 by Kohli off Mohammed Shami’s bowling, and would go on to make the MS Dhoni-led side pay dearly for the dropped chance, helping New Zealand declare on 680/8 and denying India a series-leveling victory in the process.

Zaheer, though, made a couple of clarifications in response to Ishant’s anecdote.

“I didn’t say that. I said that there were only two players, the first was Kiran More who dropped Graham Gooch and he scored 300. After that, it’s Virat Kohli who dropped a catch and someone scored 300. Then, he told me not to talk like that, naturally as he wouldn’t have felt good about that. The catch was dropped and the runs were scored,” said the Indian pace legend.

Zaheer, incidentally, would make his last appearance for India in the Wellington Test as he would lose his place in the team after the series.