My County stint with Sussex changed everything – Ishant Sharma

India’s veteran fast bowler Ishant Sharma believes his County stint with Sussex in 2018 turned the tide in his career. The right-arm pacer was not picked to play in IPL 2018 and he went to England to work on his bowling. The lanky pacer admitted that he bowled 22 overs in a day for Sussex but it went on to improve his bowling.

Furthermore, Ishant gave credit to Sussex coach Jason Gillespie for helping him gain confidence. Ishant has time and again said that the former Australian fast bowler gave him the pointers which helped him in improving his bowling. Thus, the tall fast bowler returned to India as a better pacer.

In fact, Jason Gillespie had recently said that Ishant had the insatiable hunger to improve himself during his County stint.

Ishant played four first class matches for Sussex in 2018 in which he scalped 15 wickets at an impressive average of 23.06. The results were palpable as Ishant finished the England tour as India’s highest wicket-taker with 18 wickets in five Test matches at a staggering average of 24.28. Hence, Ishant was able to reap fruits for his County stint.

“People keep saying Ishant 2.0, which makes it sound like I am a robot! But the phase before 2017 was one when the pressure to perform was a lot,” Ishant said in Instagram interaction with Delhi Capitals. “I gave me sleepless nights, and I hardly found any joy in my bowling. My county stint with Sussex was what changed everything.”

The Delhi pacer has become more confident in his approach and the same shows in his performance. Ishant scalped 25 wickets in six Test matches in 2019 at an impressive average of 15.56 to finish as India’s second highest wicket-taker in the year.

India’s pack leader has been at his best since 2018. Ishant has played 18 Test matches in the last two years in which he has snared 71 wickets at an impressive average of 19.14 and he has taken four five-wicket hauls. Hence, he is the most improved Indian bowler.

Overall, Ishant has played 97 Test matches in which he has scalped 297 wickets at an average of 32.39. He has all the experience under his belt and he is finally making the most of it to deliver the goods for the team.