A veteran India bowler talked about his career-best numbers and how his strong resolve helped him overcome fears from coach Duncan Fletcher and former captain MS Dhoni.
There is a reason why every Indian cricketer adores MS Dhoni as their captain. While Sourav Ganguly’s tenure as skipper will always be remembered fondly.
Dhoni’s tenure from 2007 to 2017 was something else entirely and holds a special place in the hearts of many. Virat Kohli is India’s most successful Test leader.
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ravichandran Ashwin are just a few of the future stars of Indian cricket who emerged under Dhoni’s leadership.
Name any modern Indian great and you’ll find that they all started out small under Captain Cool’s direction.
Dhoni may not have been as successful in the Tests as Kohli was, especially when it came to Virat’s victories away from home.
However, even while Dhoni was in charge, India won some memorable matches, including the victory in New Zealand in 2009 and the twin victories in Johannesburg and Cape Town against South Africa in 2011.
However, India’s victory at Lord’s in 2014 remains the one victory that Dhoni and his team cherish the most.
Dhoni’s India defeated the hosts by 95 runs after being whitewashed 0-4 in 2011 and returning to England three years later with a 1-0 lead.
That victory was orchestrated by many people. Murali Vijay blazed with a 98 in the second innings, while Ajinkya Rahane scored his first century in an away Test.
With a sparkling fifty, Ravindra Jadeja’s sword celebration won, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar contributed with a fighting fifty of his own.
However, Ishant Sharma is the character for whom the Lord’s Test became famous. India’s most experienced pacer rose to the challenge and dispatched England for 223.
Ishant defeated England with a barrage of bouncers, posting career-best numbers of 7/74. Ishant aggressively bowled with the old ball in one of the most memorable spells in Indian cricket history to give Dhoni’s team their first overseas victory in three years.
Ishant’s dream spell has been the subject of much discussion, but until now, no one was aware of the planning that went into it.
Ishant tells a story that has never been told before about the conversation he had with Dhoni, the game plan, and then the execution.
“I have many favorite spells, but one of my favorites is the one I bowled at Lord’s. Mahi bhai came to me when Moeen Ali got out before lunch. In fact, I’d tell you what happened earlier.
When Mahi bhai told me to behave normally, we were on our way to the changing room. We will return to bowling bouncers if nothing else works. I said okay.
He inquired, “Thakega toh nahi?” You won’t become exhausted, right? I promised to bowl for as long as you want.
I will bowl until the match is still ongoing. “He too got charged up,” Ishant said on the Cricbuzz show “Rise of New India.”
Ishant’s destructive spell brought back memories of when he was younger and first bothered and then dismissed the powerful Ricky Ponting at the WACA six years ago.
So much so that he wiped out Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, and Joe Root at one point, resulting in England losing three wickets for two runs in eight balls.
Ishant went on to say that Dhoni and then-coach Duncan Fletcher were concerned about Ishant’s ability to bowl bouncer after bouncer during the conversation.
Even though it meant that he hurt himself after the match, the India pacer’s strong resolve was unmatched.
“After that, we entered the dressing room. I, Duncan, and Mahi bhai were seated and chatting. Then he asked me, “Will you bowl again?” alongside Duncan and Mahi Bhai. I said I would bowl until the game.
He repeated, “But no, you are a human.” You’ll get worn out.” No, I insisted. Carry me out on a stretcher if I get tired.
I won’t leave until the game continues. When he heard it, he felt how long he could bowl bouncers. Okay, his energy and adrenaline levels are high right now.
But how long does he have left? So I continued to bowl. Ishant added, “Well, it’s a different thing that I got hurt.”