Agencies
Adelaid, Dec 7 : Indian pace spearhead Ishant Sharma was confident of being able to overcome the Australian batsmen in their own backyard, citing the usage of the old ball as a factor in tackling the strong batting line-up. "We have plans for each of their batsmen with both the new and old ball. Here, the old ball is going to be very crucial for us. With the old ball, you want to bowl only to a certain batsmen," Ishant was quoted as saying to bcci.tv. Ishant first came to the spotlight during the Perth Test in the 2007 tour when he troubled a batsman of the level of Ricky Ponting with a memorable spell, getting the better of him by bowling him out. The lanky pacer from Delhi however, failed to repeat his magic in the 2011 tour of Australia, where India where whitewashed 0-4. "I came here first in 2007 and everyone saw me as this new, young fast bowler from India who was very good. So, when I came back in 2011, I had a lot of expectations from myself but I couldn't do well," said Ishant. "This time, I will ensure that I control my feelings and concentrate more on the process rather than putting unwarranted pressure on myself, trying to fulfill unreasonable expectations and ending up disappointed," added Ishant.
Ishant also spoke on the Australian crowds during the games, which have known to be hostile at times. "It's also a big challenge for a cricketer to play in Australia because not only the opposition team but the crowd too will give you a tough time. But if you do well, they will love you. After playing two Test series here, I know that you have to be prepared for these things. " "You have to remain mentally strong because people will say mean things to you even as you are facing the pressure out in the middle. Once you are mentally ready for these things, you will do well," said Ishant. |
