Describing it as the turning point of his career, India pacer Ishant Sharma said he felt he had ‘betrayed the country’ when Australia’s James Faulkner hit him for 30 runs in an over in 2013.
“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,” Sharma was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo in their show cricketbaazi.
Ishant was referring to the India vs Australia 3rd ODI at Mohali when the visitors needed 44 off 18 balls. Dhoni threw the ball to Ishant and the lanky pacer gave away 30 runs including four sixes in that over as the match turned towards Australia.
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Faulkner was adjudged Player of the Match for his 64 off 29 balls that helped Australia chase down 304 and take a 2-1 lead. The exact opposite happened with Ishant, he was dropped from the team after that ODI and his confidence was at an all time low.
“At that time I felt I had betrayed myself and my country,” said Ishant going on to reveal that he cried for two weeks after that Mohali ODI. “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. [But] 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.
{{/usCountry}}“At that time I felt I had betrayed myself and my country,” said Ishant going on to reveal that he cried for two weeks after that Mohali ODI. “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. [But] 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.
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The right-arm seamer, who is one of the mainstays of India’s famous pace attack currently, said he started to take things seriously after that Faulker pounding.
“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,” he said.
Ishant is only three wickets shy of completing 300 Test wickets for India and he would look to do so when India tour Australia later this year.