Initially when Ishant Sharma started his career, the world was split into two factions over his bowling capabilities. Towering at 6’4, Ishant somehow was whacked around the park way too frequently in the shorter formats of the game and despite flinching at the sight of a Test jersey for years, he managed to resuscitate his Test career with an incredible spell away from home that left the Aussie icon, Ricky Ponting entangled in a knot.
The man who contributed emphatically to the fabric of Indian cricket in the whites also believed that he could have made greater contributions in the shorter formats of the game if not for that one telling blow from James Faulkner that aggravated his woes, leaving him in absolute tatters.
With 44 to win from 3 overs, despite a well-settled Adam Voges in the center, Ishant was taken to the cleaners by James Faulkner who rocked 4 sixes and a four to usher the Aussies to what was an iconic win over the Indians.
Talking on Cricbuzz’s ‘Rise of New India’, Ishant Sharma said, “My lowest moment was that 2013 match in Mohali against Australia. I don’t know if I could ever have moment worse than that because I was…I don’t know. It was very tough for me. And it wasn’t because I gave away a lot of runs. The thing that hurt me the most was I was the reason behind the team’s loss. I was dating my wife at that time and I just spoke to her and I think I just cried for almost a month. I used to call her every day and cry over the phone saying that team lost because of me.”
However, that was not the end of the story. The narrative finishes on a high as the other Indian seniors including the likes of MS Dhoni and Shikhar Dhawan walked upto him regularly, offering him the shoulder that helped him remain calm and look forward.
Ishant added, “The good thing that happened was Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) came to my room and Shikhar (Dhawan), who was playing that game, also came and said, ‘Look you have been doing well (Dekh, tu acha khel raha hai).’ Because of that one match there became a perception that I am not a white-ball bowler.”
