ENG vs IND 2018: I Will Try To Repeat My Performance At Lord's: Ishant Sharma

India fast-bowler Ishant Sharma has said he would be trying to replicate his famous performance at Lord’s in 2014 when the upcoming five-match Test series against England gets underway.

India had set England a target of 319 in a little over four sessions left in the game. Not many had predicted what was going to follow in the remaining sessions as Ishant blew away the hosts.  The lanky pacer started with Ian Bell’s wicket, who had his stumps knocked over by a delivery which kept low. The pacer then sent England skipper Alastair Cook back to the pavilion.

At the end of day 4 India had reduced England to 105 for 4 with Joe Root and Moeen Ali surviving the nervous few moments at the end of day’s play. The duo managed to survive the early hours on the final day before Ishant came to bowl. He made an immediate impact by removing Moeen at the stroke of lunch. After the break, he dismissed Matt Prior, Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Stuart Broad to fire India to a famous win. It was India’s first Test win at Lord’s in 28 years.

Ishant is now hoping for a similar kind of performance in the upcoming series.

“I will try to repeat my performance at Lord’s. As a sportsperson, the country comes first and our main aim is to win the Test series in England. I believe that it’s the fast bowlers who can make a difference between the two sides,” Ishant told IndiaTV.

“It was a great feeling overall. It didn’t matter much whether it was Lord’s or some other ground. Many historical events have been scripted there. But for me, it was just a normal ground. Personally, history is created when you win the team a match,” he added.

India, however, had gone on to lose the series 3-1. Ishant would be hoping that he ends up on the winning side this time around when the series concludes.

With 238 wickets in 82 Test matches, Ishant is the most experienced pacer in the team at the moment.  He will be desperate to prove his worth in the series. Moreover, his recent county stint would also help him do well.

“The County experience will come in handy for this Test series. I learnt about the conditions, what lengths to bowl at, how the climate affects the wicket and the game and so on. Playing county gave me plenty of benefits which I will be applying in the upcoming series,” he said.

Despite being on the scene for nearly a decade now, Ishant never managed to be a regular in the limited-overs side. However, he is not at all disappointed with it.

“For every player, it’s the ultimate dream to play Test cricket. It tests your character, fitness and the mental preparedness. Tests are quite challenging,” concluded Ishant.

The series, meanwhile, will get underway on August 1. India will be looking to bounce back in the series after losing the ODIs 2-1.