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Ishant Sharma reveals how his chemistry with MS Dhoni helped India win historic Lord's Test

Ishant Sharma reveals how his chemistry with MS Dhoni helped India win historic Lord's Test in 2014.

New Delhi, July 17: India pacer Ishant Sharma shouldered the responsibility of team's senior-most pacer in Tests ever since Zaheer Khan lost his touch.

The tall Delhi-pacer emerged as Team India's bowling mainstay till the likes of Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami became a force to reckon with.

Ishant Sharma reveals how his chemistry with MS Dhoni helped India win historic Lord's Test

But Ishant still remains a vital cog of India's pace battery and his valiant effort during the Test series against Australia was a testimony to the same.

Ishant bowled his heart out against World's top-ranked batsman Steve Smith in the Pune as well as Bengaluru Test. And who could forget his sledging and animated faces against Smith during Bengaluru Test.

It was one of those funny moments from an intense Test series that will be mostly remembered for the war of words between the two teams.

Ishant on Steve Smith:

Both Ishant and Smith didn't leave an opportunity to get better of each other in that game and sledging was at it's best from both the sides.

In an interview to the popular chat show "What The Duck", Ishant revealed the seeds of the tussle were sown during Pune Test when the Australia skipper kept poking fun at him. But the India pacer decided to give it back only in Bengaluru.

"He (Smith) kept saying 'well bowled mate' whenever he sneaked a single against me during Pune Test, initially I wasn't able to understand what he was saying because the Australian accent it not easy to understand.

"It was after some time when I asked him what was he saying. He then told me that he was praising my bowling," said Ishant.

"Hearing this I told straight in his face 'you never praised me when I bowled at you in Australia, only now you find my bowling good and praising my effort'," said Ishant.

Ishant will always be remembered for his performances in two of India's most famour Test wins:

First, Perth Test victory against Australia in 2008-09 where he tormented one of the world's best batsman Ricky Ponting and helped India win a Test down under after the infamous Sydney Test.

He was a young-lad back then but the way Ishant tormented Ponting in the entire series will be etched in the memories of Indian cricket fans forever.

Ishant on tormenting and sledging Ponting:

When asked if he ever sledged Ponting, he said,"Obviously I sledged him, but it was all in the heat of the moment. But Ponting is obviously one of the greats of the game. Plus, I was a youngster back then and you don't realise who's who and you are just doing your job."

Lord's Test win:

His second best overseas performance was during historic win at Lord's in 2014 in which he single-handedly demolished the English batting attack in the second innings.

Talking about his bowling effort at Lord's, Ishant credited the then India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his astute captaincy and his chemistry with him.

"We weren't getting wickets and the ball was 80-overs old and we weren't getting any wicket, then Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) asked me to bowl short in the final over before lunch. I asked Mahi bhai what good it will be to bowl bouncers to English batsmen that too in English condition. But he persisted me to at least give it a try.

"I followed his instructions and we got the wicket of Moeen Ali on the final ball before lunch. Matthew Prior next came to bat, he again asked me to ball bouncers with the same old ball and he opened the field for me to bowl freely. It seemed as if we were playing in Asia and not in England. That is how I got the wickets in that Test and learnt a lesson that changing plans as per situation is very important in cricket," he concluded.

Funny incident when he first met his wife Pratima:

Talking about his married life, the Delhi boy narrated the incident when he first saw his wife Pratima Singh, who is national basketball player.

Ishant was invited as a chief guest during a local basketball even organised by his friend and Pratima's elder sister. Ishant was surprised to see the a beautiful young lady scorer and jokingly said to his friend that basketball game has such pretty scorers unlike the ones on cricket fields. His friend corrected him and told who she was.

He was told later that it was only because of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury Pratima was not in action on the court and was instead acting as the scorer.

His friend helped Ishant get into conversation with Pratima, who initially didn't like him.

OneIndia News

Story first published: Thursday, August 3, 2017, 7:54 [IST]
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