'The turning point of my life': Ishant Sharma recalls being hit for 30 runs in an over

Ishant Sharma has been one of the best pacers to have played for India at the highest level and has also bowled some match-winning spells in his 13-year cricketing career that include picking up two vital wickets of Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan in the same over as India snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 final. He has also bowled a great spell in the 2014 Test match at the 'Mecca of Cricket' Lord's where India ended up registering a famous Test win at that iconic venue after a long gap of 28 years.

However, Ishant has also had many forgettable moments with the ball in hand and one of those moments happened to be during a home bilateral ODI series against Australia. 

'The turning point of my life': Ishant Sharma

The lanky fast bowler revealed he was demoralised after being hit for 30 runs by the Aussie middle-order batsman James Faulkner at Mohali. 

“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 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", said Ishant Sharma while speaking to ESPNcricinfo.

“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,” the tall pacer added.

When Faulkner helped Australia register a famous win

India posted a stiff total of 303/9 riding on the then skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's stellar knock of an unbeaten 121-ball 139 after they were put in to bat by Australian skipper George Bailey.

In reply, the Aussies had lost three early wickets before reaching the three-figure mark before skipper Bailey Adam Voges added 83 runs for the fourth-wicket stand. After Bailey's departure, the five-time world champions lost the prized wickets of Brad Haddin and Glenn Maxwell before James Faulkner came in and started taking the Indian bowlers to the cleaners.

The middle-order batsman remained unbeaten on a 29-ball 64 at a strike rate of 220.68 that included two boundaries and six maximums as the visitors won the contest by four wickets and three balls to spare to go 2-1 up in the seven-match series. 
Ishant Sharma finished with figures of 1/63 from his eight overs at an economy rate of 7.87 including a maiden.

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(Image Courtesy: AP)