WI vs IND | Don't want to think about the 100 Tests landmark, says Ishant Sharma
Indian pacer Ishant Sharma, who is eight games away from reaching the landmark of 100 Tests, has asserted that he doesn't want to focus on it, stating that it's better to take one match a time. He then went on to quote the example of Zaheer Khan, who finished his career on 92 Test matches.
Few turnarounds have been more impressive than that of Indian pacer Ishant Sharma, who was once written off as an outcast and branded as someone who will never be able to turn potential into performances. Ishant, who turned 31 a couple of days ago, has averaged a remarkable 19.78 with the ball since the start of 2018, and his consistency has been nothing short of incredible.
Once again, the pacer impressed against the Windies, claiming 11 wickets from two matches at an average of 12.27. Now, just eight matches shy of the landmark of 100 Test matches, Ishant has stated that he doesn't wanna focus or dwell too much on the number, taking former pacer Zaheer Khan's case as the prime example.
"I remember few years back, Zaheer was telling me something about 100 Tests but then he didn't also complete the milestone (92 Tests). I mean if I play another 4-5 years, yes I might complete but I don't want to think about it," Ishant told the host broadcasters, reported Times of India.
"I believe if you start thinking too far ahead, then you can get confused, so it is better to start taking one Test match at a time," he added.
The 31-year-old expressed his happiness over a new addition to his armoury, which sees him both move away and straighten deliveries to left-handers from around the wicket.
"Now I am able to move the ball away from the left-hander coming from around the wicket and also get to straighten the deliveries," he said.
One of the striking features of this Indian team has been Ishant's partnership with Jasprit Bumrah, with the duo hunting as a pack whenever they bowl in tandem. In fact, staggeringly, Ishant has averaged a mind-boggling 19.17 whenever he has played with Bumrah and the latter's has been significant in the resurgence of the veteran pacer. The 31-year-old lauded praise on the Indian spearhead and then went on to joke about his ability to churn out early wickets.
"Boom is fantastic. Even before we are well warmed up into our spell, he is getting five or six wickets. I jokingly tell him that please wait tell we get warmed up."
Ishant's next assignment will be against South Africa at home in a three-match Test series which is set to commence from October 2.