Ishant Sharma: Happy with how I recovered from an injury

Ishant turned in a creditable performance on the second day at the Basin Reserve scalping three and leading the Indian attack.

Ishant Sharma celebrates a wicket along with his team-mates.

All he needs now is a night’s sleep. “A good sleep is the best way to recover,” Ishant Sharma said amidst laughter!

Ishant hasn’t slept since he landed in New Zealand, apart from a couple of hours here and there. He’s jet-lagged and sleep-deprived, had not played for weeks, had battled a grade III tear in his ankle, and arrived in New Zealand only a couple of days before the Test.

“Physically I wasn’t feeling really good because of lack of sleep. But I was rather happy with my bowling, and how I had recovered from an injury,” he said.

Ishant had gone through a mentally demanding phase, getting injured in a Ranji Trophy game and then travelling to NCA, Bengaluru for recovery.

“I just worked on my rehab. I did not have any goals of making this tour in mind. If I got fit, it was all right. If I did not, what could I do? Eventually, I had to bowl 21 overs in two days at the NCA before being cleared for this tour.”

Ishant turned in a creditable performance on the second day at the Basin Reserve scalping three and leading the Indian attack.

The senior bowler, he was protective of his pack. “We have been getting 20 wickets on most occasions, in different conditions. A day without wickets doesn’t change anything,” Ishant said defending Jasprit Bumrah.

He was proud of the manner India fought back in the later stages of the day. “This team keeps fighting till the match gets over. At no stage do we give up.”

Being tall, Ishant said, had its advantages in these kinds of pitches. “Tall bowlers can get lift and you have seen how important bounce is.”

Right now Ishant is desperate for sleep! Then he will unleash thunderbolts in the arena.