Like most Indian fast bowlers in the recent past, Ishant Sharma has been an enigma locked in a love-hate relationship with the Indian cricket fans. When he first burst onto the scene against Australia in the tour Down Under in 2008, he was hailed as the next great prospect.
But Sharma has more often than not failed to live up to his reputation and do justice to his potential. Erratic with his line and length, he has leaked too many runs in vital situations incurring the wrath of the fans.
But when he is on song, he can be an absolute treat to watch. Bowling with pace, passion and fury, Sharma with his tail up has decimated the opposition on numerous occasions.
A brief trip down the memory lane would tell us that some of the memorable overseas wins for team India have been scripted by Sharma’s brilliance.
As Ishant Sharma turns 28 today, we look back at some of his most remarkable performances.
India tour of Australia, 2008
Sharma’s nine-over spell to Ricky Ponting on the fourth day of the Perth Test in 2008 is still fondly remembered by cricket fans.
It was a dream spell as the lanky nineteen year-old left Ponting clueless and fending at deliveries. Sharma gave him a complete working over — never in his life had Ponting been left so vulnerable.
Sharma extracted late in-swing from the pitch and Ponting had no answer for the deliveries that kept jagging back at pace. He was almost dismissed twice, had a close leg-before appeal turned down and was repeatedly cut into half by Sharma’s in-swing. His resilience ended as he edged a delivery that held its line to the first slip.
As India romped home to a 72-run win, Sharma’s spell to Ponting remained one of the major talking points of the match.
Speaking about his spell, Sharma said, “I didn’t change my bowling much from what I do in domestic cricket but I can’t remember a spell like this. It’s the best I’ve bowled in my career. It’s not because of Ponting but more to do with rhythm. We have a plan against all batsmen and just try and stick to it.”
He was also at his best during the Commonwealth Bank ODI series with his spell of 4 for 38 against Australia at the MCG still talked about to this day. Sharma, the promising 19-year old, showed the world what a great prospect he was yet again when he bowled a fiery spell to the Australian top order.
He dismissed Hayden, Ponting, Symonds and Stuart Clarke to reduce Australia to a total of 159 which India then chased down easily. That early victory against Australia gave India the confidence and they swept 2-0 to victory in the finals later.
2nd Test Bridgeton, 2011
In a not so well-remembered encounter at Bridgeton in the second Test of the 2011 series at the Caribbean, it was Sharma’s heroics that helped India draw the match despite some poor batting performances. The match was a low-scoring affair with India having been bowled out for 201 in the first innings.
But Sharma then produced a fiery spell of 6 for 55 to ensure that the West Indies does not get a first innings lead. He followed it up with yet another good spell of 4 for 53 in the second innings.
West Indies were 7 down for 202 while chasing 281 in the fourth innings but they managed to hold on for a draw. Sharma bagged 10 wickets for 108 runs in that match.
India tour of New Zealand, 2014
Some of the New Zealand pitches with green decks offer the ideal conditions for the faster bowlers to enjoy themselves. With plenty of true and carry in the pitch and windy conditions, the pitches are perfect for tall fast bowlers like Sharma who are prepared to run in and hit the deck hard.
Unsurprisingly, Sharma was at his imperial best during the 2014 Test series in New Zealand where he enjoyed and took full advantage of the seamer-friendly conditions.
Sharma was the lone warrior coming away with six wickets in the first innings when New Zealand scored a mammoth 503. He followed it up with a spell of 3 for 28 in the second innings.
The Indian batsmen however struggled to get going in the first innings which meant that even a valiant effort in the second innings saw them fall short of the target by 40 runs. Sharma bowled his heart out, finishing with nine wickets from that match.
In the second Test, Sharma continued the good work and bowling in tandem with Mohammad Shami, produced one of the best fiery spells of fast bowling. Sharma ran through the top order coming away with incredible figures of 6 for 51.
Shami accounted for the other four Kiwi batsmen and the two seamers shared all the ten wickets between them in the first innings. India took a handsome lead in reply but a brilliant triple century by Brendon McCullum in the second innings forced the match to a draw in the end.
2nd Test, Lord’s, 2014
A couple of years ago, Ishant Sharma produced one of the most memorable bowling performances in the second Investec Test at Lord’s to single-handedly bowl India to a famous victory on the final day. Sharma came away with career-best figures of 7 for 74 reminding fans of his famous spell to Ponting at Perth in 2008.
Root and Moeen Ali played with grit, perseverance and fortitude throughout the morning session on the final day frustrating the Indian bowlers in the process. Ishant’s bouncer to dismiss Ali out caught at forward short-leg however turned the tide in India’s favour.
Dhoni and Sharma then together launched a master plan of attacking the English batsmen with a barrage of bouncers in the post-lunch session. The plan worked beautifully — too many of the England batsmen were tempted to go for the hook and dug their own graves.
The trap had been set with three men on the leg-side boundary ropes and Prior, Root and Stokes all fell for it. England collapsed under pressure giving India only their second Test win at Lord’s in 82 years. And Ishant Sharma was the undoubted hero of that momentous Indian triumph.
