Ishant Sharma, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Australia vs India 2018
Ishant Sharma with Virat Kohli. (Credits - Twitter)

Pace spearhead Ishant Sharma has been a stand out performer for India in the ongoing Test against New Zealand. The lanky fast bowler broke the back of the opposition with figures of 3/31.

Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma (R) talks with Virat Kohli. Credit: BCCI

Sharma arrived in New Zealand mere 72 hours before the first Test in Wellington. The pacer said jet-lag hasn’t helped him bowl on the second day of the game. The Delhi-born pacer slept for three hours on the eve of the match and took to the bed for only 40 minutes post first day’s play.

“I am not happy. I haven’t slept in the last 2 days. I was struggling today also. I did not bowl the way I wanted to. The team asked me to play so I played. Anything for the team,” Sharma said.

“Not that I wasn’t happy with my bowling. I wasn’t happy with my body as I could only sleep for 40 minutes last night and the day before the Test match, I slept for three hours.” he added.

Tim Southee, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, India, New Zealand
New Zealand finished Day 2 at 216/5 (Credits: Twitter)

More you recover, better the effort: Ishant Sharma

Sharma stressed on the importance of sleeping for a certain period in order to freshen up. The visitors were caught off-guard in windy conditions. India were bowled out for 165 in the first innings. In reply, the Blackcaps are at 216/5. Sharma’s performance has brought back India in the game.

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Ishant Sharma, James Faulkner
Getty Images

“The more you can recover (from jet lag), the better effort you can put in on the ground. There’s no better recovery than a sound sleep. The sounder your sleep is, the better your body will respond on the ground.”he added.

India will look to bowl out the opposition within the first session as the task only gets trickier from here. Jasprit Bumrah has been ineffective and hasn’t hit the right lengths. He has been wicketless so far. India would hope for Sharma to fire and create inroads early.