Ahmedabad: Ishant Sharma attributed Monday his remarkable longevity in the game to understanding what the ‘captain wants from him’. Ishant Sharma is on the cusp of becoming only the second Indian pacer after Kapil Dev to play 100 Tests.
Ishant made his Test debut as a gangly 18-year-old in Bangladesh when Rahul Dravid was the captain. He has subsequently played under Anil Kumble, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane during his career.
So which captain understood him the best in all these years? “It is difficult to say who understood m the most. All of them understood me really well. But more than the captain understanding me, it was always important as to how I understood the captain,” Ishant said. He was attending the virtual conference ahead of the third Test against England, beginning here Wednesday.
“That’s very important. What does the captain want from me specifically? If those things are clear, communication becomes easier,” said the man who has 302 wickets from 99 Tests.
Ishant was asked whether dropped from the white ball squad helped in prolonging his career. “I normally treat this as a blessing in disguise. It’s not that I don’t want to play white ball as that’s what is the job of a sportsman but if he is not playing, what does he do? At best he can train,” Ishant said.
“I didn’t want my Test cricket to get affected because of my non-selection in ODIs. At least I should be grateful that I am at least playing one format,” he added.
For him, it was important that he forgot what’s not there and be grateful for what he has. “So if you don’t think too much, be grateful and try to focus on the format you are playing, it only helps you. May be it helped me in completing 100 Tests,” Ishant said.
“Having said that, I don’t think had I played three formats, I couldn’t have played 100 Tests. May be it would have taken a bit longer. I am only 32 and not 42,” the gangly pacer added.
So does crossing Kapil Dev’s 131 Tests cross his mind?
“131 will take a long time. I only want to think about qualifying for the WTC final. This is my World Cup where if I win can have the same feeling that others had while winning ODI world Cup,” Ishant said with a smile.
Ishant was asked him about Jimmy Anderson playing at 38 and if he could play till that age. He laughed.
“Thirty eight? I will go one game at a time. You never know what comes next. Yes, I am more professional about my recovery now. Earlier, I would train hard but didn’t focus on my recovery. As you grow older, you need to recover well to bowl long spells, take care of your body,” he informed.
On who will be the leader of the pack once he leaves the scene, Ishant picked Jasprit Bumrah. “I think I don’t want to take one name. You are good and that’s why you play for India. But I think, after me, it is Bumrah, who will play most matches for India. I think he has to lead the way. It will depend on how he speaks to youngsters, take them under his wings, groom them,” Ishant stated.
For fast bowlers to blossom, one needs to understand their skill sets and plan accordingly.
“(Navdeep) Saini has pace, (Mohammed) Siraj has control. You have to understand people’s strength. Skill sets are different and if you tell Saini to bowl one area and Siraj to hit 140k, then you are not doing justice to their strengths,” asserted the amicable Ishant.
As a parting shot, Ishant added: “As long as I can maintain the intensity in my game, I will play for India.”