Ishant Sharma turns 32: A look at his splendid records
Indian pace spearhead Ishant Sharma turned 32 on Wednesday. The tall speedster has been the nucleus of Indian bowling attack in Test cricket over the years. His express pace coupled with a substantial seam movement has made him rise through the ranks lately. He played a pivotal role during India's recent visits to SENA countries. We take a look at his records.
Ishant Sharma in international cricket
Ishant Sharma burst on to international circuit in 2007. His exploits against Australia during the 2007-08 tour Down Under kicked off his career. In an international career spanning over a decade, Ishant has accounted for 420 wickets from 191 matches at 32.34, including best innings figures of 7/74. The tally also comprises of 11 five-fors and 1 ten-wicket haul.
India's highest wicket-taker among seamers (SENA countries)
So far, Ishant has aggregated 122 Test wickets in SENA nations (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia). In the 2020 New Zealand tour, he overtook Zaheer Khan's tally of 119 wickets to become the highest wicket-taker among the Indian pacers in these countries. Overall, the chart is led by former Indian spinner Anil Kumble, who owns a record 141 wickets.
199 wickets in foreign Tests
Ishant has 199 wickets to his name in foreign conditions. He is the joint fourth-highest wicket-taker away from home with Imran Khan, on the list of Asian seamers. Kapil Dev leads the chart for India with 215 away wickets, followed by Zaheer Khan (207). Ishant stands third among the Indian seamers. Meanwhile, the latter is set to emulate Kapil Dev in the impending season.
First Indian bowler to take five-for in Day/Night Tests
Ishant is the first Indian bowler to scalp a five-wicket haul in Day/Night Tests. He attained the distinction in the 2019 Eden Gardens Test against Bangladesh. He ran through the Bangladesh batting line-up in the first innings, having registered figures of 5/22.
Joint-most wickets by an Indian bowler in England
In 2018, Ishant equaled legend Kapil Dev's record of taking most number of wickets (43) by an Indian bowler in England. The former achieved the feat during the 2018 England tour, wherein he was the pick of India's bowlers. Notably, he emerged as the leading wicket-taker from India in the five-match series (18). Overall, Ishant owns 43 wickets in the nation at 33.90.
