Ishant Sharma, the tall and seasoned pacer of Team India, turns 35 today on September 2, 2023. Standing tall at 6 feet 4 inches, Sharma has carved a remarkable journey to establish himself as an integral part of the Indian cricket team. Following the retirement of Zaheer Khan from international cricket, Ishant has been a linchpin of the Indian pace attack, particularly in Test matches. His debut came in 2007 against Bangladesh in Mirpur, and since then, he has featured in an impressive 105 Test matches, scalping a total of 311 wickets. Among his achievements are 10 instances of taking four-wicket hauls and 11 five-wicket hauls.
In addition to his Test cricket prowess, Ishant Sharma has also made a significant impact in the limited-overs formats. He boasts 115 wickets in 80 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and has clinched 8 wickets in 14 T20 Internationals (T20Is). Ishant Sharma’s career has been a testament to his skill, resilience, and dedication to the sport of cricket, making him a stalwart in the Indian cricketing landscape.
On his 35th birthday, here’s a look at some of his inspiring performances in the longest format of the game:
6/51 vs West Indies, Bridgetown, 2011
After Team India were bowled out for 201, the lanky pacer led the attack to claim astonishing figures of 6/51 in the first innings, which led to home side folding at 190. He returned to claim four more (4/53) in the second essay, to claim a 10 for 108 haul, which is the fourth-best for an Indian bowler in an away Test. The match ended in a draw, but Sharma was awarded man of the match.
7/74 vs England, Lord’s 2014
After going wicketless in the first innings, Sharma produced one of the most memorable spells in the history of Indian fast bowling in the second Test at Lord’s. The veteran pacer ripped apart English batsmen as he took seven wickets and helped India to complete a 95-run victory on the final day. He was adjudged as man of the match.
6/51 vs New Zealand, Wellington, 2014
After losing the first Test by a mere 40 runs in Auckland, India badly needed a good start in the second Test against New Zealand. Sharma took 6/51 to skittle the Kiwis for 192 in the first innings. The second innings featured some big scores from the hosts, including a triple century from Brendon McCullum. However, Virat Kohli scored a sparkling century to make sure India didn’t lose the Test.
5/54 vs Sri Lanka, Colombo (SSC), 2015
Although opener Cheteshwar Pujara got the Man of the Match, it was Sharma’s spell of 5/54 which gave Team India a match winning 100-plus lead in the first innings. He took 3/32 in the second innings, while Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 4/69 to help India wrap up the series decider with a 117-run win, their first away series victory in four years.
5/51 vs England, Birmingham, 2018
Apart from Lord’s 2014 innings, the speedster produced a disciplined bowling effort to bundle out England on 180 on day three of the series opener. Sharma ran through England’s middle and lower order to claim figures of 5/51, his eighth five-wicket haul. However, Team India lost the match by 31 runs.
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