Ishant Sharma's thirst for knowledge really struck me, states Jason Gillespie
ICC
Jason Gillespie has revealed that Ishant Sharma was really inclined to learn new things and his want of becoming a better cricketer helped him during his time at Sussex. The Aussie further added that Sussex players liked Ishant's personality and were really impressed with the Indian's work ethic.
Jason Gillespie played a huge role in Ishant Sharma finding his mojo back, a period that him hitting the length more often. Ishant publicly acknowledged how big a role the Aussie played in pointing out the problems in his stride, which not only made him a versatile bowler in his own right, but also one of the best pacers in the world currently. Gillespie acknowledged the same while adding that Ishant Sharma's thirst for knowledge was infectious.
"You know what really struck me about Ishant was his thirst for knowledge, his willingness to listen, ask questions, try new things, because sometimes you can get senior players, experienced players who will just go about and do their thing. They know what they need to do and that's fine. But Ishant was very much...he knew what he needed to do to bowl well. He also knew he wanted to get better," Gillespie told Youtube show Cow Corner Chronicles.
"The Sussex players were really impressed with Ishant's work ethic. They loved his personality. He fitted in really well in the dressing room. But his capacity to learn, ask questions, try things. His work ethic in the nets, or on the track was phenomenal. It was really good for our young seam bowlers at Sussex to see that this is what it takes for a Test bowler."
Even 13 years after making his India debut, Ishant, who for the majority of his career was just a promise, never really became the spearhead until 2017. But his transformation to become a hard-working and wicket-taking bowler is a story worth retelling many a time. Gillespie stated that Ishant's experience was really good for the young bowlers at Sussex.
"He is an Indian Test bowler, and he is bowling really hard and working really hard to get better at his game, and he has played about 80 Test matches (at the time). And he is still trying really hard to get better each and every day. So, it was really good for our young bowlers at Sussex to see such an experienced player, who has played so much Test cricket, continually trying to improve and get better," added Gillespie.
