India’s bowling spearhead Ishant Sharma had a lousy phase before 2017 when he stopped enjoying cricket. The senior pacer revived his passion during county cricket for Sussex under the coaching of Jason Gillespie.
During an Instagram live chat on the Delhi Capital’s official handle, Ishant revealed that he struggled during the middle phase of his career. He was under pressure and had sleepless nights. To get his form back, he went to play county cricket where he got a different environment which helped him to become a better cricketer.
I hardly found any joy in my bowling: Ishant Sharma
“People keep saying Ishant 2.0, which it makes it sound like I am a robot! But the phase before 2017 was one when the pressure to perform was a lot,” Ishant said. “I gave me sleepless nights, and I hardly found any joy in my bowling. My county stint with Sussex was what changed everything.”
It was a gruelling stint for me because I was bowling 22-23 overs in a day, batting as well, and then coming back home to do the chores. It was a tough drill but somehow I enjoyed it a lot,” he recalled.
Ishant also credited Sussex coach Jason Gillespie for helping him cope with the tough times. Eventually, after playing there, his mindset changed and became more focused on the present.
Ishant Sharma is an improved bowler:
“It was kind of a self-realization also,” he said. “I think I enjoyed a lot more there and I ended up learning a lot about myself – credit also to Jason Gillespie who was my coach there. When I came back to India to play after that, I felt a lot free and focused only on enjoying the present, which took off a lot of pressure from me. That change in mindset is the reason for me being an improved cricketer today.”
The results also started as Ishant Sharma emerged as a different bowler and was the highest wicket-taker for India in England in the 2018 Test series. Now, he is the premier bowler for India in the red-ball format. The 31-year-old Ishant Sharma has played 97 Test matches and picked up 297 wickets.