The missing cog of Chargers pace battery
While watching the pre-IPL match show on television Sharma wishes that he was fit enough to play in the Twenty20 league.
The ankle brace lies about in the drawing room of Ishant Sharmas palatial two-storey house in South Patel Nagar. Till not long ago the plastic contraption was strapped on his left ankle,which had 20 stitches to close the gash following the ankle surgery the pace-bowler underwent after the tour of Australia.
The decision to go under the knife with the lucrative IPL around the corner was a tough one for the Deccan Chargers player,who spends his evenings with his left ankle in a bucket of ice watching his team mates play at venues across India. Thursday may be no different when Deccan play Delhi at the Ferozeshah Kotla. Apart from enjoying the comedy shows on television and the IPL games every evening,Ishant is also baby-sitting his two-month old niece Ananya.
Actually I was bit confused whether to go in for the surgery now or later as I was keen on playing for Deccan Chargers in the IPL. But playing for the country is a priority. When I was playing against West Indies in India before the tour of Australia,MRI scans showed that the laser treatment was doing a lot of good for my ankle. But when I went to Australia,I felt a bit of pain and I could play the first Test after taking a cortisone injection, Sharma told The Indian Express on Wednesday.
Learning to walk,again
Now,Ishant is just about starting to walk again without the help of crutches. I think it will be about six weeks before I can start running. I have just being able to put some weight on my ankle. So it will take a few months. I dont want to rush my comeback, Sharma said.
During the lay-off because of the surgery,Sharma has had time to reflect about his game but it hasnt diminished his desire to remain a quick bowler. People know me as a fast bowler and not as a medium-fast bowler. So when I make a comeback I want to continue to bowl fast, Sharma added.
The 23-year-old admitted that he went through a crisis of confidence in 2010-11.
I think it was all about your confidence level. When you are playing at the highest level most times the technical bits become secondary. If you start thinking about your head dropping,shoulder opening up you will get more confused. Suddenly I wasnt enjoying my cricket. My aggression was misdirected. People started telling me that I am supposed to lead the attack when I wasnt taking wickets. Now when I sit back and think about my game,I think I have learnt from my mistakes.
Faulty training methods
Faulty training methods also hampered him from performing at his best. For a long time I didnt even know about weight training or wouldnt take it seriously. I spoke to Zak Zaheer Khan about my bowling. He kept telling me there is nothing wrong technically in your bowling,you need to train so that your body can take the load. Zaheer is as good a doctor as he is a fast bowler. I never used to do any specific training before, Sharma said.
The fast bowler believes he was close to his best during the Test tour of Australia despite having taken only five wickets in four matches. My coach told me,beta koi puja karva le,only God knows why you are not taking more wickets.
While watching the pre-IPL match show on television Sharma wishes that he was fit enough to play in the Twenty20 league. People have short memory,if you play good they remember you,otherwise they forget about you and move on. The IPL is a big tournament and I miss not playing for the Deccan Chargers.
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