10 things to know about Ishant Sharma

Ishant’s spell to Ponting put him on the Cricket map

6. Fastest Delivery

Ishant bowled at ball which was measured at 152.2 kmph in Australia to Ponting, which was one of the fastest deliveries ever bowled by an Indian in international cricket. The benchmark of 150 kmph always seemed to be too far away for Indian bowlers, but with Ishant breaking the barrier, it created history.

7. Ishant’s Dropped catches

Three of the highest individual scores ever made against India in test matches - Alistair Cook’s 294, Michael Clarke’s 329* and Brendon McCullum’s 302 - were all made after the batsmen were dropped by Ishant Sharma early in the innings. Ishant’s follow-through has often been criticized for being awry, which makes the bowler less attentive to caught-and-bowled chances.

8. Good Away Record

Of Ishant’s 7 five wicket hauls in Test Cricket, 6 have come away from India. Ishant has two five-fers in West Indies, two in New Zealand, one in England, and one in Sri Lanka. Ishant’s lone five-fer in India was also his first, a 5-118 against Pakistan in Bangalore.

9. Dubious IPL Record

Ishant is the only bowler to feature on both the list of “Best bowling figures” and “Most runs conceded” in the IPL. He bowled a fiery spell of 5-12 in just 3 overs against Kochi Tuskers Kerala but also conceded 66 runs in 4 overs against Chennai Super Kings. His hot-and-cold bowling is one of the main reasons he is not consistently picked for the ODI squad.

10. Batting Prowess

Ishant Sharma starred in a record 81 runs partnership with VVS Laxman in the first test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2010-11 in Mohali, where India chased down a target of 216 from being 124/8. The partnership is still the highest 9th wicket partnership in a successful fourth innings chase in a test match.

With India playing back-to-back series against Sri Lanka and then South Africa, Ishant will look to continue his good form and remain as India’s go-to bowler under new captain Virat Kohli. With bowlers like Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Stuart Binny providing him ample support, Ishant must finally prove that he can be consistent and lead India in the coming years.