The blossoming of Ishant

Harsha Bhogle wasn't particularly impressed with Ishant Sharma when he first saw him at nets in England. In the practice matches he seemed to lack rhythm and pace, yet those around him were optimistic. It was in Australia, Bhogle writes in his Indian Express column, that Ishant blossomed.

... he worked on the ball that leaves the right-handers. Till that moment, he had been one-dimensional, bowling quickly but predictably. In the years to come, if he can retain his ability to learn, his spell of bowling to Ponting at Perth will become a defining moment. Australia knew they had a fight on their hands from a man who had taken no more than a handful of wickets. He had pace but more than anything else he was confident and willing to back himself. From that moment onwards, with the batsman aware that the ball could go either way, he became, to quote Adam Gilchrist after the Adelaide Test, “lethal”.