Ishant hits a 145;perfect146; line

Ishant Sharma flashes his trademark high-voltage smile when reminded of the little journey that he8217;s covered in international cricket. After making his Test debut in Dhaka last month 8212; he replaced an injured Munaf Patel 8212; the Delhi pacer is all set to make his ODI debut in Ireland, again by pure coincidence. Ishant is rushing to Ireland as a back-up to the original seam attack. 8220;I know line and length are the keys to success in ODIs, but I am not thinking anything further than that,8221; he says.

Ishant8217;s focus has largely been on the England Test series and he8217;s been watching the England-West Indies Test matches with interest. 8220;It gave me an idea of what length I should bowl at, advantages and disadvantages in seaming conditions and the strengths and weaknesses of English batsmen. The conditions in Bangladesh and England are extremely opposite. I had to pitch a bit short in Bangladesh, but in England I am looking to pitch the ball further up to use the seam to good effect. I saw the ball doing quite a bit off the wicket, even in the latter stages. Also, I have a fair idea of the conditions there and that will keep me in good stead,8221; he says.

Ishant toured England last year as part of the India under-19 squad and hit the limelight with telling performances. 8220;Hopefully, I will be able to replicate my under-19 performance.8221;

Post-Bangla tour, Ishant has been focusing on strength and endurance training. 8220;I have been following the chart given by Gregory King. The sudden rains made my job easier as there were fewer matches. I played a few tournament matches in the last week and am in a perfect frame, physically and mentally,8221; he adds.