‘Since It Was Done by an Indian, We Don’t Talk Much About it’: Aakash Chopra, Anil Kumble Hail Ishant Sharma’s Iconic Spell

Former India cricketers Anil Kumble and Aakash Chopra walked down memory lane and recalled Ishant Sharma’s sensational bowling spell against Ricky Ponting during the Perth Test match in 2008. Young Ishant ran riot with the ball and caused extreme difficulties for Australian batters especially their then skipper Ponting.

19-year-old Ishant was too good for Ponting as he made him his bunny and troubled him with his strict length and pace during the second innings of the patch. He hit Ponting’s pads several times before managing to get an edge from his bat to dismiss him for 45 off 71 balls. India went on to win the Test match by 72 runs.

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Chopra, Kumble and Ishant had a discussion about the latter’s sensational bowling performance in that match while commentating during the first Test match between India and West Indies.

“If an English bowler would have bowled that kind of spell, it would have been called spell of the century but since it was done by an Indian, we don’t talk much about it,” Chopra said during commentary on JioCinema.

Ishant, who played 105 Test matches for India, said that he didn’t think about that during the contest and it was like the same business for him as he used to do in domestic cricket.

“Didn’t realise (the enormity of it) it during the contest but it only dawned on me after the match. To me, it was business as usual like I did in domestic cricket,” Sharma said during the conversation,

Legendary Kumble also heaped praise on Ishant and said it was one of the best spells and was a big achievement for a 19-year-old to produce something special.

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“For a 19-year-old to hit those areas and get the best player out – certainly one of the top spells,” Kumble added.

Ishant last played for India in 2021 but has not taken retirement from Test cricket, however, the team has moved on from him and given chances to young players. India have picked Mohammed Siraj, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini, Mukesh Kumar and Shardul Thakur in the pace-attack for the two-match Test series against West Indies.