Hats off to Ishant

[rkt.india]

We played our first test of this season on June 20th, 2011, and today is August 20th, 2011, exactly two months from then on. This is India's 7th test in these two months and this guy has bowled whopping 293 overs in these two months, in 7 test matches, over 40 overs per test, taking 33 wickets, and is still running in hard, bowling around 85 mph or more, and giving his 100% every time he gets the ball in his hands. This shows how he has maintained and worked on his fitness and how dedicated and honest he has been towards his cricket and mind you, he is only a 22 -year-old young boy. Ishant:hatsoff: to you.........keep learning...keep progressing...keep working hard.....we want to see you become one of world's leading fast bowler in the next 2-3 years. An article on him from Cricinfo. On Friday, Ishant Sharma must have felt caught in a sci-fi horror movie: there he was, valiantly defending one side of his spaceship. Without much success or progress, but ever-valiant. And there, on the other side, some cowboys were letting all the aliens in. This unevenness of mission has been India's lot for the last one month in England. When the Oval Test actually kicked off with a full day's play on Friday, India were found short again. Not of an army of space cadets, but just one more bowler who could give their best man on the day something to celebrate other than a slightly reduced fat content. Of all the Indians out on the field, it is the stringy Ishant who can do without that kind of depletion. He certainly would have been helped by more meat at the other end during his five spells on day two of the Oval Test. In the past, India's problems on tour were said to centre around the lack of a penetrative third seamer; on this tour, India have been actually been minus a second bowler itself. Not because Zaheer Khan and some body parts have gone missing again, but because each time one man has broken into a genuine sweat in the middle, he has been hindered by his cranky companions at the other end. If it was Ishant who opened up the England second innings at Lord's, it was Praveen Kumar who sought company in Edgbaston. The one time India's bowlers have worked in tandem in Nottingham, England were 124 for 8. Whenever India have pressed, England's response has always demanded more of their opposition. At that point, India have been found wanting. Everytime when under any genuine pressure, rather than retreating into bunkers, England's batsmen have attacked and thrown India off their game. The England tail did so in Nottingham, the last time there was even contest between the two teams in this series. At The Oval on Friday, after a much-improved Indian performance from the shambles on a curtailed day one, England waited for the moment, before pouncing on the less feisty amongst the bowlers. Barring Ishant, they feasted on the rest. It is at times like these, the size of bowlers' hearts are gauged and today, Ishant's belonged to the lone lion in his pack. Figures of 19-5-64-1 from the second day disguise the one element of his bowling that while difficult to quantify, is impossible to miss: effort. If supported at the other end, it usually translates into better numbers than the 457 for 3 the Indians must deal with. On the field, Ishant cuts a distinctive, gawky figure: his sweater hangs on his angled frame, he is a man made up of more lines rather than the curves that lurk beneath some Indian shirts on the field. Scraggly face, usually pained expression, he has endured the slings and arrows of Indian cricketing celebrity in his four years in the international game. It can only be hoped he is now on the other side. He is far from the finished goods, but is now capable of absorbing pain and stringing good spells together repeatedly. In the last 13 months he has taken 57 of his 123 wickets and could be at the cusp of upping his game and sense of responsibility of who he needs to be in this Indian attack. He will need work on his physical and mental endurance as well as skill levels to be recognised as a genuine strike bowler; but if some good has to come of this tour, Indian cricket must hope it turns out to be Ishant's learning on this first full tour of England. On Friday, he certainly gave every hint of what he is capable of. The fella who had knocked a chip off Andrew Strauss' helmet on Thursday, looked hungry for a wicket all day even though the lone wicket picked up in his first over was the only one he was to get. The first runs off his bowling today came after 22 balls and for the rest of the day, he bowled at a reasonable pace, averaging around 136kph if the TV speed gun is to be believed. He sent a few down in the 140s, well into his tenth over of the day. Ishant has now bowled 169 overs in this series and while his average is pretty miserable so far, he has been the only Indian who has looked capable of taking wickets at The Oval. Along with Praveen, he is the only Indian to have taken them in double figures in the series. Towards the end of the day, Ishant bowled at the Vauxhall End, and between change over the overs, walked over to mid-on on the far side to field. Never once did he look like he would rather be sitting in a deck-chair than putting one foot in front of the other at The Oval. All through the day, Ishant was, in one sense, everywhere. For each occasion he found himself unrewarded, having missed an edge, hurried a shot or having had chances, he could easily have thought of himself as being nowhere and slipped into the ennui that began to grip his mates once Bell and Pietersen returned after lunch and decided to go into launch mode. He came across at mid-on to gee-up Sreesanth after Ian Bell had struck him for two creamy cover drives to get to his fifty. A few balls later Sreesanth wandered over to leg, and was shipped off the pads for four; Ishant walked away, snatching his own cap off his head in frustration. Maybe he knew he was going to be alone for the rest of the afternoon. It was not to be Ishant's day even though the only chances that India made after the first two wickets fell quickly, came off his bowling. Pietersen, first on 18 at the stroke of lunch, walked across his stumps to offer a catch to the perfectly positioned leg-slip in Suresh Raina, who was unsure about having caught it clean. Just after Pietersen had crossed his 100, he looped a mis-hit up off Ishant into the sky which was dropped by a backpedalling Gautum Gambhir. Of all the bowlers, he sent down the fewest four-balls, stuck to his line and hit a length that asked questions. As both Ishant and Praveen have reached into their inner troopers on this tour, it is Sreesanth's that is the most painful to watch. Rather than evolve from an eccentric quick bowler of rare gifts into a strike bowler of consistent influence, Sreesanth has lost more than he has gained in his five years with the Indian team: both his exaggerated mannerisms and his pace as well as the direct impact he has on games. What Sreesanth should be doing at the end-of-day media briefing was as inexplicable as the decision to ship an unfit RP Singh over to England in place of Zaheer Khan at the very last minute. With limited powers and Zaheer's fitful appearances due to injury, the "management" of India's bowling stock has been vital to the team's success over the last two years. Those stocks are now down to a one-man team that must be managed. Naturally the results are hardly going to be the same. http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-...ry/528725.html

[IKnowU]

Him and Ojha are the only bowlers worth keeping atm. Praveen is too slow, Sreesanth too inconsistent, Zaheer too unfit, Mishra fat and shite, RPS too slow, Munaf fitness and slow.

[Hell Raiser]

He is the only bowler who looks like to get wickets. Rest of them are just there to fill the numbers. Although he doesn't have much wickets against his name but he has bowled well in this match and at a decent pace as well. After bowling so many overs, he deserve rest. India should nor risk him for the ODI series. The last thing we want him is to get a major injury before the Australian tour.

[deepak_sach]

I started to like Ishant Sharma after his contribution in the mohali test....were he was involved in a match-winning partnership with VVS.

[Deleted_User_1]

Ishant is the bowler to nuture......keep Praveen as a backup bowler, banish all the rest, Sree, RP, etc. Bring in fresh blood like Aaron, maybe even Yadav. If Zak can stay fit give him one more chance or let him go as well. Banish Bhajji from tests, and kick Mishra out. Ojha is better and give Ashwin some chances. On the batting front, if the seniors fail in the Oz tour then time to phase them out, but GRADUALLY. Keep Raina despite his shortcomings, banish Yuvi from tests and try the new ones that are promising. India has had a nice run being home bullies, but it is time to start a new phase.

[saneindian]

Top class effort from him. Should not play at least the first 2-3 ODIs or if possible should be rested from the t20s and ODIs.

[bunny]

I would say that he didnt bowl particularly well. Given that he has been playing for 4 years now, he should have learnt to bowl in-cutters consistently, and that too on line and length. He did try hard though. If I were the coach, I would definitely want to have a road map for him, and if he is going wayward, seek some help. No point in just letting him play. That way he will stop improving. He has a long long way to go to become a world class bowler. I have more hopes from PK though. If someone trustworthy can help him with his runup, he can turn into a really really good and reliable test bowler.

[rkt.india]

I would say that he didnt bowl particularly well. Given that he has been playing for 4 years now, he should have learnt how to keep the line and length on almost every delivery, and also bowl the in-cutters consistently. That said, he did try hard. If I were the coach, I would definitely want to have a road map for him, and if he is going wayward, seek some help. No point in just letting him play. That way he will stop improving. He has a long long way to go to become a world class bowler. I have more hopes from PK though. If someone trustworthy can help him with his runup, he can turn into a really really good and reliable test bowler.

He has some limitations with his action. Bringing the ball back to left handed batsman is not possible and he did try to change his action but was unsuccessful. He will learn more. Though it is his 4th year in international cricket, but he is still only 22 at this age Zak made his debut, likes of McGrath, Brett Lee, and SHoiab Akhtar have not even debuted. We just need to save him from too much work load and injuries.

[Rightarmfast]

I didnt think of it in this way. Yeah, his match fitness is commendable. Perhaps luck was not on his side. But I would have loved to a more deadly , venomonous Ishant. He is mediocre right now but I hope he can make a mark in world cricket in the next 2 years if he is still around !

[bunny]

He has some limitations with his action. Bringing the ball back to left handed batsman is not possible and he did try to change his action but was unsuccessful. He will learn more. Though it is his 4th year in international cricket' date=' but he is still only 22 at this age Zak made his debut, likes of McGrath, Brett Lee, and SHoiab Akhtar have not even debuted. We just need to save him from too much work load and injuries.[/quote'] He doesnt need to bring the ball back to the left handed. What he needs to do though is pitch it full on leg stump and then have the ball cut towards the slips. McGrath, Pollock, Walsh and many others were masters of this. If he cant learn this, he will struggle against lhb. I dont doubt his raw talent. The guy learnt to bowl leg cutters within a year of playing international cricket which is amazing. But the issue is whether he is getting consistent good guidance. If not, at best he will reach the levels of Srinath.

[Jayaram_IND]

I started to like Ishant Sharma after his contribution in the mohali test....were he was involved in a match-winning partnership with VVS.

I know you are an Ishanth Sharma fan from the outset.

[Trichromatic]

Ishant Sharma is one bowler who can represent India for next 5-6 years. He can be a very good second seamer for the team. I don't know who will be leader of the attack in future.

1. _______
2. Ishant
3. PK

India needs to find the main bowler. Ishant and PK will be good support bowlers for India. After these 3, India needs a pool of young pacers who can always replace any of those 3. One more important part is that Ishant and PK should play minimum ODIs and T20 cricket. They should focus only on test cricket.

[Jayaram_IND]

Ishant Sharma is one bowler who can represent India for next 5-6 years. He can be a very good second seamer for the team. I don't know who will be leader of the attack in future. I want to see this attack in future.

1. _______
2. Ishant
3. PK

India needs to find the main bowler. Ishant and PK will be good support bowlers for India. After these 3, India needs a pool of young pacers who can always replace any of those 3.

I think you mean india needs a bowler of the mould of zaheer.Maybe we need to moniter the fitness of our lead bowlers better.I remember nasser hussains statements on Harmison and how england have improved monitering the fotness of these players.We need a bowler capable of getting wickets in all conditions.

[Sidhoni]

He is been the only one, who is running in hard, and giving more than 100% :hatsoff:

[wobblydoggy]

I agree with the OP, our commentators also agree, he has worked very hard. I think Sree, is up for a fight too, but he just looks so silly, like a petulent boy. It was hilarious yesterday against Pietersen

[daryl1985]

it was really heartening to see him bowl well yesterday. He has tje opportunity to become a future Indian legend. It's a shame he can't bring the ball back into the left hander.

[Jayaram_IND]

Ishanth is bowling well and he is our only hope in australia.Hope he gets enough rest and is fit and ready for the tour.

[Cricket Tragic]

Ishant Sharma is one bowler who can represent India for next 5-6 years. He can be a very good second seamer for the team. I don't know who will be leader of the attack in future.

1. _______
2. Ishant
3. PK

India needs to find the main bowler. Ishant and PK will be good support bowlers for India. After these 3, India needs a pool of young pacers who can always replace any of those 3. One more important part is that Ishant and PK should play minimum ODIs and T20 cricket. They should focus only on test cricket.

Agree with this.