Ishant Sharma revealed that the match versus Australia in Mohali in 2013 was the turning point in his life after Australian James Faulkner punished him by scoring 30 runs in the 48th over as India could not defend 303.
Australia won by four wickets as Faulkner remained unbeaten on 64. The three weeks that followed the defeat were like a nightmare to Ishant who felt that he had failed his country and himself. He did not speak and cried but was a tough guy as he changed his approach towards the game by seriously taking up cricket. But that had a major impact on Ishant’s life as he had difficulty sleeping and wept like a child over the phone while calling his girlfriend.
I Faced Difficult Three Weeks: Ishant Sharma
It was indeed a blow to him but later it was a blessing in disguise. He admitted his mistakes but took up his responsibility which showed as his average in Tests has come down to 32 from 37.
“The turning point of my life came in 2013. Faulkner hit me for 30 runs in one over in an ODI in Mohali that Australia went on to win,” Ishant Sharma told ESPNcricinfo. “At that time I felt I had betrayed myself and my country. For two-three weeks, I didn’t speak to anyone. I cried a lot. I am a very tough guy. My mother says she hasn’t seen a tougher person than me.”
“I called my girlfriend and cried on the phone like a child. Those three weeks were like a nightmare. I stopped eating. I couldn’t sleep or do anything else. You switch on the television and people are criticising you, which messes you up even more,” Ishant Sharma added.
“I laugh about it now and I consider it a blessing in disguise. Sometimes you need a jolt to understand your passion. After the Faulkner incident, I went through major changes in my life. After 2013, I started taking things seriously. Before that, if I had a bad performance, people would come and tell me ‘It’s okay, it happens.’
“But after 2013, if someone came to me and said that, I wouldn’t listen. If I have made a mistake, I have made a mistake. I started taking responsibility for my actions. When you do that, you play every match to win it for the team,” Ishant added.
Bad performances on the field can affect different players differently. For India cricketer Ishant Sharma, conceding 30 runs in just six balls in a match against Australia was a humbling lesson that helped him become better at dealing with failures.
Ishant Sharma Felt Like He Had Betrayed Himself And India After The Game
The pacer revealed that it took him three weeks to return back to normalcy after the One Day International (ODI) match against Australia in 2013. He said that he felt like he had “betrayed” himself and his country after the game.
Ishant Sharma was referring to India vs Australia 3rd ODI at Mohali when the visitors needed 44 off 18 balls. MS Dhoni threw the ball to Ishant Sharma and the lanky pacer gave away 30 runs including four sixes in that over as the match turned towards Australia.
