Over the past few days there has been a hue and cry over Ishant Sharma‘s disastrous 48th over yielding 30 runs. Once touted as a rare find he has now fallen from grace. However this fall was not sudden or dramatic but a systematic breakdown of this young bowling talent. He shot to prominence when he was a part of Anil Kumble led side to Australia and made a mark in the controversial Sydney test in 2008.What followed was a beautiful display of bowling everyone was fond of this lanky youngster who made the Australians hop skip and jump in their own backyards at WACA .Ponting was considered to be his bunny through out the series.
The critics opined that this young boy had a long road ahead of him.But this series of 2008 changed Indian as well as Australian cricket.It was a slide for Australia which was hastened by this series .There was a looming threat of the retirement of their greats and further their aura of invincibility was fading whereas Indian cricket had now become bold ready to take the bull by the horns the new generation had stepped up and the leader of this bowling pack was the Ishant Sharma,who one bad series later was dropped from the team a culmination of injuries and bad form relegated him to the sidelines. He was left out from the successful 2011 world cup squad but after a major injury to India’s bowling spearhead Zaheer khan he took up the mantle to lead the young Indian bowling pack putting a heavy onus on him.The future was full of promise.
But now moving back to present with the advent of bowlers like , Vinay ,Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma he finds himself sidelined and sandwiched as the Indian ace Zaheer khan recuperates for a comeback .When he was bowling in the 3rd Odi he lacked pace, bite to trouble the Aussies with his height he was considered as India’s trump card but he has failed to complete these duties on the night of the 3rd Odi a shadow of his former self was bowling .If Dhoni gives him a chance he should redeem himself and justify his inclusion in the India squad otherwise he would be certainly relegated to a footnote in India’s cricketing history.
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