Wickets will bring confidence: Ishant

[rkt.india]

HowÃÔ the body shaping up after six months without any cricket? IÃÎ quite happy with the way things have gone. I chose to skip the IPL to treat my ankle. Since then, I have been doing what the physio (Ashish Kaushik) at the NCA has asked me to do. I have been bowling a lot in the nets, and have felt no discomfort. Whatever I have done in the last couple of months should help me cope with the tough season ahead. Do you think the lack of serious cricket before the New Zealand Tests will be a problem? No, I have been bowling quite a bit and played a couple of matches. I played a one-day game the other day and then a two-day game, both in Bangalore. In the two-day game, I bowled 21 overs, including 15 in one day. Plus I have been bowling 10 overs in the nets everyday. I have also come through running and agility tests, so thereÃÔ nothing to worry about. For a long time now, Zaheer Khan has led the Indian attack but doesnÃÕ someone need to take the pressure off him? I agree. I hope I am that person, but thereÃÔ nothing anyone can do about injuries But you havenÃÕ picked up wickets consistently either Like with batting, you have partnerships while bowling too. I donÃÕ think I have bowled badly, but I havenÃÕ always got the wickets, like in England and Australia. But itÃÔ important to have partnerships, where one person creates pressure and the other gets the wickets. I think I have the experience now to take more responsibility, but I think more than anything else, if I get among the wickets in the matches against New Zealand, and then England and Australia, then I will feel more confident and achieve more. That will be good for Zaheer and the others as well. Experts keep saying you donÃÕ get as many wickets as you should have because your length is too short. Have you given it any thought? ItÃÔ not like I donÃÕ think about my bowling, but the more I think about it, the more I realise that because I am not a swing bowler, I need to stick to my strength, which is to bowl slightly short of length and move the ball off the wicket. I donÃÕ think I should tamper with that. Look at Morne Morkel, he is similar. He also hits the length and does pretty much what I do. ItÃÔ not like that swinging the ball is the only way to get wickets. The key is to bowl in the right areas, which I think I am doing more and more now. International cricket is about pace and consistency. And patience. You have had five months to sit back and think about your bowling and where your career is headed. Yes, but I donÃÕ think so much about these things. I know that I have trained as best as I could. The idea is to back your strengths and be positive. I have done that. Now, I need to go out and enjoy myself. If I think too much, I will only complicate things. As far as the One-Day International team is concerned, Irfan Pathan and Ashok Dinda did well in Sri Lanka. Does that make things tough for you? IÃÅ love to come back in all formats of the game. But my first job is to do well in the Tests. If I can do that, doors will open up. No Dravid, no Laxman. Things are looking very different with the Test team. Obviously. They are both legends. There will be a lot of pressure on the youngsters. I think Virat (Kohli) has done very well and will handle a lot of responsibility. He is in great form. I donÃÕ know who else will come into the team, but whoever it is, itÃÔ important to show that India is not dependent on one or two people. Cricket doesnÃÕ stop for anyone. Legends come and legends go, the game goes on. But the absence of such pillars of the team must add to the responsibility on the bowlers. If Test matches have to be won, itÃÔ the bowlers who need to pick 20 wickets. The batsmen donÃÕ do that. That pressure is always there. I canÃÕ really think too much about these things. I must go out and bowl as well as I can and stay fit. The slip cordon will also look very different Yes, but thereÃÔ no point in thinking about these things. Coming to Laxman, talk us through the partnership in Mohali (against Australia in October 2010) He made me a better batsman than I was. Gary (Kirsten) was the first person to tell me that I have the ability to bat for long periods, but it was Laxman bhai who gave me the confidence to actually do it. He kept asking me not to look at the scoreboard and bat as long as I could. I just hung in there. He did small things during that 81-run stand that helped me stay in. I got out in the end, but Laxman bhai won the match for us. What memories do you have of Laxman? I have never met such a fine human being in my life. Laxman bhai is a gem of a person, whose entire life is dedicated to cricket. You donÃÕ meet people like him often. He is always there for the youngsters, constantly backing you, constantly egging you on. Not just as a cricketer, Laxman bhai is outstanding as a person.

http://www.wisdenindia.com/wickets-will-bring-confidence-ishant

[Gunner]

I seriously think Umesh should get a chance ahead of this guy in the upcoming tests.

[ShebbySB]

It's good to hear that he's concentrating on pace and consistency.He has the first one & extra bounce for his height.Now unless he can bring consistency in his game all of that will be wasted like before.Hope he gets more consistent.

[ShebbySB]

I seriously think Umesh should get a chance ahead of this guy in the upcoming tests.

Umesh is the first choice in the team ahead of Ishant.If we play 2 seamers Zak & Umesh will play.Ishant is the 3rd seamer right now.

[rkt.india]

He should get his seam position right back only then he can be an effective test bowler.

[ravishingravi]

My line up Umesh Ishant Zaheer/Sreesanth ( Yes that guy ) Pathan as Allrounder We dont have embarassment of riches. I would rather have them lose games than not develop any bowling strength

[ravishingravi]

He should get his seam position right back only then he can be an effective test bowler.

Something has gone seriously wrong with his wrist postion

[rkt.india]

Something has gone seriously wrong with his wrist postion

Wrist and seam are the most important aspect of fast bowling.

[Trichromatic]

[asterix]

Wickets will bring confidence: Ishant

:hysterical: How will you get wickets if you bowl like a village trundler, way outside the off stump, with zero variations, no-brains, no strategy, just like a robot run and dish pies and then witha joker like face smile & laugh and wonder at your bad luck..

[Sean Bradley]

:hysterical: How will you get wickets if you bowl like a village trundler, way outside the off stump, with zero variations, no-brains, no strategy, just like a robot run and dish pies and then witha joker like face smile & laugh and wonder at your bad luck..

Seriously, he comes running in and bowls half trekkers, what dissappoints me more is that he has got everything to be a good fast bowler, height, can generate good pace consitently, right areas is where he needs be. Good luck Ishant, hope you have a great come-back :two_thumbs_up:

[putrevus]

I want to bash this guy but everything I read and hear about him makes me hold back. This guy is trying his best and looks like he wants to do well in tests and is a hard worker. But something is wrong somewhere and it is pity we don't have anyone for fix it.He is till so young and one good thing is his pace is still there somewhere somebody needs to unlock his correct length. He needs to get his accuracy back wickets will follow then.

[Trichromatic]

But something is wrong somewhere and it is pity we don't have anyone for fix it.He is till so young and one good thing is his pace is still there somewhere somebody needs to unlock he correct length. He needs to get his accuracy back wickets will follow then.

His basics? :dontknow: He rarely bowls stump to stump or full deliveries. By rarely I mean sometimes he never bowls stump to stump at all in an inning or full deliveries are 2-3 odd slower ones. How can he expect to get wicket with short and wide balls. :dontknow:

[Crookbond]

His basics? :dontknow: He rarely bowls stump to stump or full deliveries. By rarely I mean sometimes he never bowls stump to stump at all in an inning or full deliveries are 2-3 odd slower ones. How can he expect to get wicket with short and wide balls. :dontknow:

Actually, Can he bowl fuller is not the question? Does his run up allow him to bowl fuller? Here's a snippet from his interview.

ItÃÔ not like I donÃÕ think about my bowling, but the more I think about it, the more I realise that because I am not a swing bowler, I need to stick to my strength, which is to bowl slightly short of length and move the ball off the wicket. I donÃÕ think I should tamper with that. Look at Morne Morkel, he is similar. He also hits the length and does pretty much what I do. ItÃÔ not like that swinging the ball is the only way to get wickets. The key is to bowl in the right areas, which I think I am doing more and more now. International cricket is about pace and consistency

Does that sound awfully wrong? I don't think so. I'm sure there's not one way of bowling. There are other bowlers who have been successful who have bowler short of a length. He just needs to slightly adjust his length while bowling abroad. He needs to look at the 2nd innings of the Lords Test match and say that's what he wants to bowl as.

[Trichromatic]

Actually, Can he bowl fuller is not the question? Does his run up allow him to bowl fuller? Here's a snippet from his interview. Does that sound awfully wrong? I don't think so. I'm sure there's not one way of bowling. There are other bowlers who have been successful who have bowler short of a length. He just needs to slightly adjust his length while bowling abroad. He needs to look at the 2nd innings of the Lords Test match and say that's what he wants to bowl as.

Bowlers whose natural length is short, definitely struggle to bowl full. Morkel also relies a lot on short pitched stuff, but he mixes it up very well. Ishant and other Indian bowlers rarely bowled bouncers during England tour, same thing happened against WI in India. Most of the time he was just short around halfway of the pitch. On the other hand, notice Morkel's bowling in recently concluded series. He bowled bouncers (around the body, not just the short and wide) a lot. He bowled full deliveries more often than Ishant does. It may be hard to just change your completely, but it's not that hard to mix up your length. Because of his length he will succeed on rare occasions like second innings of Lords, but because he doesn't bowl at uncomfortable lengths (deliveries around shoulder height and full length deliveries), it's easier for batsman to make movement. If there is a bowler in the team who bowls short pitched stuff, then one can expect opposition batting to be careful about the feet movement. But in Ishant's case it was not that difficult. For him KP and other bowlers he was easily able to stay on front foot. Other batsman stayed on backfoot most of the time for Ishant and on front foot without even getting worried about length against bowlers. You won't see anyone doing that against Morkel, because he does bowl few full deliveries if not many. KP's dismissal at Oval was good example of that.

[rkt.india]

Actually, Can he bowl fuller is not the question? Does his run up allow him to bowl fuller? Here's a snippet from his interview. Does that sound awfully wrong? I don't think so. I'm sure there's not one way of bowling. There are other bowlers who have been successful who have bowler short of a length. He just needs to slightly adjust his length while bowling abroad. He needs to look at the 2nd innings of the Lords Test match and say that's what he wants to bowl as.

Agree.

[Sean Bradley]

**duplicate post**

[SLICKR392]

Will we play 3 seamers? Other than Zak, I wonder whom MSD would pick.

[Trichromatic]

Will we play 3 seamers? Other than Zak' date=' I wonder whom MSD would pick.[/quote'] Yadav will most likely be his second choice.

[putrevus]

His basics? :dontknow: He rarely bowls stump to stump or full deliveries. By rarely I mean sometimes he never bowls stump to stump at all in an inning or full deliveries are 2-3 odd slower ones. How can he expect to get wicket with short and wide balls. :dontknow:

I don't think he was/will be that bowler anytime soon, he cannot bowl stump to stump, his natural length will always be short of length due to his height. If bowls on off or middle stump his bowling angle/action will make ball go on to pads of batsmen and will be very easy to score runs. See both in Australia and England due to the bounce of wickets the batsmen even guy like Ponting who plonks his feet forward and gropes at the ball were waiting back knowing fully well ball will sail over stumps or miss it.When ever he tried anything else it just did not work.He was bowling faster than any other Aussie bowler. He needs bowl yard fuller to make batsmen play but that means he might lose his movement it is not that easy adjustment.what I feel is he needs to get the ball straighten more at fuller length but that may/may not be possible.If he does that he will be lethal but after 46 tests it is looking more like latter case. But one thing going in his favor is he is still 23 he was thrust into side when he was very young and he has not lost his pace.