LONDON: Ishant Sharma, named Man-of-the-Match for his sensational career-best figures of 7-74, which took India to a 95-run victory over England at Lord’s said all of his wickets belonged to captain MS Dhoni, as it was the wily skipper who inspired him to bowl short-pitched deliveries on the fifth and final day of the second Test match here on Monday.
“Cricket is a great leveller. The way MS (Dhoni) handled the team, the way he keeps on motivating the guys. I think all these wickets are not for me, it is only for the captain. He told me you are tall enough, you have to try the bouncer,” Ishant said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
India’s victory was the first at Lord’s in 28 years and Ishant also achieved another milestone – that of the best figures for an Indian bowler at the hallowed ground.
The previous best was Amar Singh’s 6-35. If the name of the bowler is unfamiliar, that is because that record was set 78 years ago.
Ishant, long criticised for lacking the consistency that would turn him into a first-rate bowler, also had words of appreciation for the batting department.
“The way our batsmen played in the first innings was commendable. Ajinkya played really well in the first innings. That gave us the momentum. Also the way (Murali) Vijay, Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) and Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) played,” Ishant said. (PTI)
