'Thing That Hurt me the Most was I was the Reason Behind India's Loss, I Cried for Almost a Month'

Veteran pacer Ishant Sharma is just one of the 13 Indian cricketers to play 100 or more Test matches. From making Ranji Trophy debut at the age of 18 to becoming a mainstay of Indian bowling unit- it has been an incredible rise for the Delhi-born pacer. However, it would be wrong to conclude that Ishant’s cricketing journey has always been smooth and trouble-free.

Ishant recently recalled a tumultuous period of his career following a match against Australia in 2013. Ishant described that particular phase as the “lowest moment” of his career. The 34-year-old also revealed how former India skipper MS Dhoni and Shikhar Dhawan helped him in tackling the situation.

“My lowest moment was that 2013 match in Mohali against Australia. I don’t know if I could ever have a moment worse than that because I was…I don’t know. It was very tough for me. And it wasn’t because I gave away a lot of runs. The thing that hurt me the most was I was the reason behind the team’s loss. I was dating my wife at that time and I just spoke to her and I think I just cried for almost a month,” Ishant Sharma revealed during Cricbuzz’s ‘Rise of New India’ show.

“The good thing that happened was Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) came to my room and Shikhar (Dhawan), who was playing that game, also came and said, ‘Dekh, tu acha khel raha hai (Look you have been doing well).’ Because of that one match, it became a perception that I am not a white-ball bowler,” he added.

In international cricket, Ishant Sharma was last seen in action during a Test match against New Zealand in Kanpur in December 2021. After playing 105 Test matches, Ishant has managed to pick up 311 wickets.

Ishant became the second Indian fast bowler to reach the milestone of 100 Test matches when he took the field against England two years back in February 2021. Moreover, among the Indian pacers, only Kapil Dev has featured in more Test matches than Ishant.

In the fifty-over format, Ishan Sharma last played in January 2016. His last T20I game took place against Australia in October 2013.

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