Ishant Sharma
Encyclopedia
Ishant Sharma (born 2 September 1988) is an Indian
cricketer
. He is a right arm fast medium bowler. He has a high arm delivery action and is not a swinger of the ball but depends a lot on pace and movement off the seam.
At the age of 18, Sharma was called to join the Indian squad for the tour of South Africa in 2006–07
. However, after receiving the call and organising travel arrangements, it was decided not to send him on the tour. He has earned the nickname Lambu (meaning Tall Guy), which refers to his lean and tall build, measuring 1.95 metre.
in domestic cricket and has taken 21 wickets in four first class games, including a five wicket haul against Baroda on the opening day of a match Delhi drew after failing to bowl Baroda out on the fourth day.
Ishant toured England with the India Under-19s in 2006 and Pakistan in 2006–07. He played three youth tests and six youth One Day Internationals for India.
In May 2007, he was selected in the test
team for the Bangladesh
tour and played as a replacement for the fast bowler Munaf Patel
. Over there he played for his national side in the second test where he bowled 3 overs including one maiden and conceded only five runs without taking a wicket. Later on, he was called for the tour of England
in July–August 2007.
Ishant Sharma got a call back in the team in the 3rd Test Match during Pakistan's tour of India in December 2007 due to injury of India's frontline pacers Zaheer Khan
, RP Singh, and Sreesanth. Sharma picked up 5 wickets during the third test in Bangalore
. This performance earned him a place in India's squad for the tour of Australia.
Sharma was left out in the Boxing Day
Test at Melbourne
during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
as India retained their main fast bowlers, Zaheer Khan and RP Singh. However, in January 2008 Sharma was called to represent India once again to replace the injured Zaheer Khan in the second test at the SCG
. Sharma started the first day of the match strongly and was involved in a controversial decision from Steve Bucknor
when Andrew Symonds
nicked the ball to keeper MS Dhoni off his bowling but was given not out. He bowled reasonably in the match, however without much luck.
Although he had little success, the management retained him for the third Test match at Perth. On the fourth day of the match he bowled an exceptional spell to Australian captain Ricky Ponting
that resulted in his wicket and helped India claim victory. He used the pace and bounce of the WACA
wicket to trouble the batsmen. In the following test played in Adelaide
he picked up two wickets and impressed everyone with his bowling. He finished the tour of Australia with figures of 6/358, an average of 59.66 and a strike rate of 101.0.
On 10 February 2008, Sharma bagged four important wickets in the 4th ODI of CB Series against Australia. He ended the match with figures of 4/38 and named man of the match. He scalped two important wickets on 18 February 2008 versus Australia in the 7th ODI of CB series.
who bowled at 149.7 km/h (93 mph) versus Zimbabwe at the 2003 World Cup. However, Ishant was successful in breaking the record just a week after he got close to it, versus Australia in Melbourne on 17 February 2008. On at least one occasion he bowled faster than 152 kilometres per hour (94.4 mph).
Some critics have compared him to the 1980s' West Indian fast bowlers, especially the legendary Curtly Ambrose
. He has also been compared to the Indian Fast bowler Javagal Srinath
. Under the tutelage of Indian bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad
, Ishant has learnt the difficult art of reverse swing which he put in to use to trouble the visiting Australians in 2008.
After India's tour down under the Australian skipper Ricky Ponting stated that Ishant Sharma is a dangerous bowler.
During the 2008 Test series against Australia in India, Ishant was the leading wicket-taker, with 15, and was named man-of-the-series as India won 2–0. He thereby became the first Indian paceman to win such an award in a Test series on Indian soil after Kapil Dev who won the award in 1983. He was noted for achieving reverse swing on balls sometimes as young as eight overs, and along with senior opening bowler Zaheer Khan, troubled the touring Australians. He took Australian captain Ricky Ponting's wicket three times during the series, and six times in as many Tests, making the Indian press label Ponting as Ishant's bunny.
However, in 2009, Ishant's form slumped, and he was dropped for the second Test against Sri Lanka, replaced by Sreesanth.
On 5 October 2010, Ishant helped VVS Laxman pull off a highly unlikely win over Australia by one wicket in the first Test in Mohali after India had fallen to 8/124 in pursuit of 205. Ishant provided Laxman with support during a 81-run partnership in which he contributed 31 valuable runs. Laxman eventually guided India to a tense win.
in the player auction for the Indian Premier League
. This was the highest amount paid for any bowler in tournament. In the 2011 IPL auction, Sharma was bought by the Deccan Chargers
.
Indian people
Indian people or Indisians constitute the Asian nation and pan-ethnic group native to India, which forms the south of Asia, containing 17.31% of the world's population. The Indian nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the rich and complex history of India...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
. He is a right arm fast medium bowler. He has a high arm delivery action and is not a swinger of the ball but depends a lot on pace and movement off the seam.
At the age of 18, Sharma was called to join the Indian squad for the tour of South Africa in 2006–07
Indian cricket team in South Africa in 2006-07
-1st ODI: 19 November :The first ODI was rained out without a ball being bowled, due to persistent rain in Johannesburg.-2nd ODI: 22 November :-3rd ODI: 26 November :-4th ODI: 29 November :...
. However, after receiving the call and organising travel arrangements, it was decided not to send him on the tour. He has earned the nickname Lambu (meaning Tall Guy), which refers to his lean and tall build, measuring 1.95 metre.
Domestic and first-class career
Ishant plays for DelhiDelhi cricket team
The Delhi cricket team is one of the first-class cricket teams, that plays in India's domestic competition, the Ranji Trophy. They have won the tournament seven times and have been runners-up seven. Their latest title in 2007-08 came after a long wait of 16 years. The previous win was in the...
in domestic cricket and has taken 21 wickets in four first class games, including a five wicket haul against Baroda on the opening day of a match Delhi drew after failing to bowl Baroda out on the fourth day.
Ishant toured England with the India Under-19s in 2006 and Pakistan in 2006–07. He played three youth tests and six youth One Day Internationals for India.
Rise in international cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
team for the Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
tour and played as a replacement for the fast bowler Munaf Patel
Munaf Patel
Munaf Musa Patel Urdu:مناف موسی پٹیل is an Indian cricketer who has also played for the West Zone in the Duleep Trophy and Gujarat, Mumbai cricket team and Maharashtra cricket team....
. Over there he played for his national side in the second test where he bowled 3 overs including one maiden and conceded only five runs without taking a wicket. Later on, he was called for the tour of England
Indian cricket team in England in 2007
Day OneThe first Test match at Lord's saw Chris Tremlett make his England Test debut. Michael Vaughan won the toss and chose to bat first. Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook took advantage of average Indian bowling scoring 40 runs after only 5 overs putting on 76 before Sourav Ganguly made the break...
in July–August 2007.
Ishant Sharma got a call back in the team in the 3rd Test Match during Pakistan's tour of India in December 2007 due to injury of India's frontline pacers Zaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan is an Indian cricketer who has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000. A left arm fast bowler considered as the best of the Indian fast bowling attack, Zaheer is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways, and as a batsman also holds the record for the highest Test...
, RP Singh, and Sreesanth. Sharma picked up 5 wickets during the third test in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. This performance earned him a place in India's squad for the tour of Australia.
Sharma was left out in the Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
Test at Melbourne
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
The Border–Gavaskar Trophy is a Test cricket series, played between India and Australia. It has witnessed some of the most competitive Test series played in recent years, with results usually either being a narrow win for one of the sides or a closely fought draw...
as India retained their main fast bowlers, Zaheer Khan and RP Singh. However, in January 2008 Sharma was called to represent India once again to replace the injured Zaheer Khan in the second test at the SCG
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
. Sharma started the first day of the match strongly and was involved in a controversial decision from Steve Bucknor
Steve Bucknor
The Honourable Stephen Anthony Bucknor OJ, also known as Steve Bucknor, is a former international cricket umpire. He was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on 31 May 1946. He became a high school mathematics teacher and sports coach, before becoming an international football referee and a cricket umpire...
when Andrew Symonds
Andrew Symonds
Andrew Symonds is a former Australian cricket team all-rounder. A two-time World Cup winner, Symonds is a right-handed middle order batsman and alternates between medium pace and off-spin bowling....
nicked the ball to keeper MS Dhoni off his bowling but was given not out. He bowled reasonably in the match, however without much luck.
Although he had little success, the management retained him for the third Test match at Perth. On the fourth day of the match he bowled an exceptional spell to Australian captain Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Thomas Ponting , nicknamed Punter, is an Australian cricketer, a former captain of the Australian cricket team between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very...
that resulted in his wicket and helped India claim victory. He used the pace and bounce of the WACA
WACA Ground
The WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association....
wicket to trouble the batsmen. In the following test played in Adelaide
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
he picked up two wickets and impressed everyone with his bowling. He finished the tour of Australia with figures of 6/358, an average of 59.66 and a strike rate of 101.0.
On 10 February 2008, Sharma bagged four important wickets in the 4th ODI of CB Series against Australia. He ended the match with figures of 4/38 and named man of the match. He scalped two important wickets on 18 February 2008 versus Australia in the 7th ODI of CB series.
Achievements and abilities
Ishant Sharma has been focusing on becoming a fast bowler rather than medium pacer and claims he wants to bowl 100 mph. He bowled a 149.5 km/h (92.9 mph) delivery versus Australia in Melbourne on 10 February 2008. At that time he was just 0.2 km/h short of fastest ball ever bowled by an Indian. The record holder was Ashish NehraAshish Nehra
Ashish Nehra is an Indian cricketer who has represented India at the international level since 1999.Nehra started playing first-class cricket for his hometown, Delhi, in the 1997/1998 season and made his Test debut against Sri Lanka at Colombo in 1999 and his ODI debut against Zimbabwe at Harare...
who bowled at 149.7 km/h (93 mph) versus Zimbabwe at the 2003 World Cup. However, Ishant was successful in breaking the record just a week after he got close to it, versus Australia in Melbourne on 17 February 2008. On at least one occasion he bowled faster than 152 kilometres per hour (94.4 mph).
Curtly Ambrose
Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose is a former West Indian cricketer. His skill was as a right-arm fast bowler, especially in partnership with Courtney Walsh...
. He has also been compared to the Indian Fast bowler Javagal Srinath
Javagal Srinath
Javagal Srinath is a former Indian cricketer. He was a frontline fast bowler for the Indian cricket team until his retirement, being the second Indian pace bowler after Kapil Dev to take 200 Test wickets. One ball that he bowled during the 1996 tour of South Africa measured...
. Under the tutelage of Indian bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad
Venkatesh Prasad
Bapu Krishnarao Venkatesh Prasad is a former Indian cricketer. He is the bowling coach for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, having formerly performed the same role for the Indian cricket team from 2007 to 2009. He made his debut in 1996...
, Ishant has learnt the difficult art of reverse swing which he put in to use to trouble the visiting Australians in 2008.
After India's tour down under the Australian skipper Ricky Ponting stated that Ishant Sharma is a dangerous bowler.
During the 2008 Test series against Australia in India, Ishant was the leading wicket-taker, with 15, and was named man-of-the-series as India won 2–0. He thereby became the first Indian paceman to win such an award in a Test series on Indian soil after Kapil Dev who won the award in 1983. He was noted for achieving reverse swing on balls sometimes as young as eight overs, and along with senior opening bowler Zaheer Khan, troubled the touring Australians. He took Australian captain Ricky Ponting's wicket three times during the series, and six times in as many Tests, making the Indian press label Ponting as Ishant's bunny.
However, in 2009, Ishant's form slumped, and he was dropped for the second Test against Sri Lanka, replaced by Sreesanth.
On 5 October 2010, Ishant helped VVS Laxman pull off a highly unlikely win over Australia by one wicket in the first Test in Mohali after India had fallen to 8/124 in pursuit of 205. Ishant provided Laxman with support during a 81-run partnership in which he contributed 31 valuable runs. Laxman eventually guided India to a tense win.
IPL
On the basis of his strong performance in Australia in 2008, Ishant Sharma was bought for a winning bid of $950,000 by Kolkata Knight RidersKolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders is the franchise representing Kolkata in the Indian Premier League, a Twenty20 cricket tournament. Sourav Ganguly led the team in IPL1 and IPL3, Brendon McCullum in IPL2, and Gautam Gambhir in IPL4...
in the player auction for the Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
. This was the highest amount paid for any bowler in tournament. In the 2011 IPL auction, Sharma was bought by the Deccan Chargers
Deccan Chargers
Hyderabad Deccan Chargers known in short as DC or 'Chargers' is a cricket franchise that represents the city of Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League...
.