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SPORTS February 26, 2021 | The Indian Eye 50

from a rookie to leader of the pace pack:

ishant sharma reaches a huge

‘personal milestone’

Our Bureau Bumrah to take it upon himself
to groom the youngsters in the
Ahmedabad side. “I would not like to name

acer Ishant Sharma be- one. If someone plays for In-
came the second India dia, it means he is talented and
Pfast bowler to play 100 he has performed in domestic
Test matches when he bowled cricket and IPL. After me, if I
the first over of the pink-ball think there can be one to play
Test against England at the Na- a lot of Tests for India, then it
rendra Modi Stadium here on has to be Jasprit Bumrah. Bum-
Wednesday. Ishant also became rah has to lead the way for the
the fourth Indian bowler to youngsters, it would be import-
achieve the glorious milestone. ant how he grooms the new tal-
The fast bowler, who is now be- ent. Mohammed Siraj has good
hind former skipper Kapil Dev control and Navdeep Saini has
as the only pacer to reach the pace. Everyone is different, you
feat, is also the eleventh Indian cannot pinpoint one regarding
cricketer to feature in 100 Test President Ram Nath Kovind presents to Indian Cricketer Ishant Sharma his who will play more Test match-
matches. Former skipper Anil 100th Test cap in Ahmedabad on Wednesday (ANI Photo) es,” said Ishant during a virtual
Kumble (132), Kapil (131), and press conference on Monday.
spinner Harbhajan Singh (103) Ishant had missed the entire
are the only bowlers other than series against Australia, and the
Ishant to feature in 100 Tests for likes of Mohammed Shami and
India. Umesh Yadav had also gotten
Ishant Became the third In- injured during the four-match
dian pacer to take 300 wickets in series.
Test cricket earlier in the series. If India skipper Virat Kohli
Overall, he became the sixth In- recalled the early memories
dian to do so. “If your career is of Ishant and their friendship,
14 years long and you are still opening batsman Rohit Shar-
playing, you cannot name just ma termed the pacer as the
one highlight. It is difficult to one on whom the team banks
pinpoint just one highlight, ev- Indian players form a guard of honour for Ishant Sharma to celebrate his on during tough times. “I re-
ery sportsperson has the graph 100th test match in Ahmedabad on Wednesday (ANI Photo/ICC Twitter) member a tall lanky guy com-
going up and down. I cannot say ing to the nets and trials. He
about that one thing that took ures of 7-74. During his first cricket, I just followed the same. pitched the ball in right areas
my graph or brought it down. Australia tour in 2007-08, Ishant Over the years, I learnt by being and caused a lot of trouble to
Obviously, it feels great to be bowled a famous spell to Ricky in different situations. I have the batsmen and the selectors
playing 100 Tests, I learn a lot Ponting. always had this motive in mak- were immediately impressed,”
from Zaheer Khan, I learnt from Then skipper Anil Kumble ing the team win, till the day I said Kohli in the video posted
his work ethic. I have told every- had asked Ishant -- “Ek aur over play, I will play with the same on BCCI’s official website.
one playing in the team that if dalega (will you bowl another motive. Personal milestones can “Big big congratulations
you keep on working on your over), and to this Ishant had re- be there, when you are about to on making it to the 100 Test
fitness, the rewards will come,” plied: “Haan dalunga (yes, I will leave your career you can see match. It’s never easy for any
said Ishant during a virtual press bowl). As fate would have it, Is- these milestones. But these are cricketer. He has seen some
conference on Monday. hant went on to take the wicket just numbers for me, I do not tough times as well on the
Ishant had made his Test de- of Ponting in the very next over. play for numbers, I just play to field but he has never given up.
but under the leadership of Ra- “When I went to Australia in win,” he added. The Hall Mark of his entire ca-
hul Dravid and he has bowled 2007-08 in Australia, I was just a Ishant Sharma on Mon- reer put into one shell this what
some memorable spells like the youngster and I was just focus- day said that once he hangs his is Ishant Sharma all about. He
one against England at Lord’s ing on bowling. I did not think boots in the longest format, it has reached a stage that we rely
in 2014 as he finished with fig- much, as we bowl in domestic would be important for Jasprit on him,” said Rohit.

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