da lvbet: Since 2018, Ishant has been a different bowler, and he has racked up some impressive stats too
da betcris: Gaurav Sundararaman01-Oct-2019Ishant Sharma’s career started on a strong note after he got the India call-up when just 18. He troubled more than one batsman away in Australia, and was effective in home conditions as well. But it started to go downhill after that, the ride largely a bumpy one. But, ten years on, Ishant has finally hit a peak, and since 2018, he has been one of India’s premier Test bowlers.ESPNcricinfo LtdIshant 2.0Ishant’s career has had an interesting progression graph.In his first 11 Tests, he took 34 wickets at an average of 31.17 and a strike rate of 57.3. This remains Ishant’s best average to date. After a long, hard grind, his average fell back below 35 for the first time only in mid-2018. He was the second slowest to 250 Test wickets (86 Tests) and while more or less regular in the Test XI, was never quite first choice.Watch cricket on ESPN+
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Between 2010 and 2017, Ishant played 60 Tests and took 172 wickets at an average of 37.22, striking once every 68 deliveries. However, fortunes turned after that. At the start of 2018, India played Jasprit Bumrah in the first Test against South Africa in Cape Town. Ishant did get his chance in the second Test in Centurion, though, and bowled a crucial spell late on the first day to trigger a collapse by dismissing AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis. Since then, he hasn’t looked back, playing 13 Tests for 52 wickets at an outstanding average of 19.78.Ishant’s average in this period is better than that of Kagiso Rabada, James Anderson, Trent Boult, Stuart Broad and Josh Hazlewood. With all the limelight on Bumrah, Ishant has slipped under the radar somewhat, but his average, strike rate and economy rate are at par with those of Bumrah since the start of 2018. Along with Mohammed Shami, Ishant and Bumrah form a potent pace attack that has been doing exceedingly well around the world over the last two years.