XtraTime Web Desk: Ace Indian pacer Ishant Sharma recently recalled a hilarious incident surrounding his ODI debut in Ireland. The senior pacer in Team India in a video chat with his teammate Mayank Agarwal on BCCI.tv revealed how he had to borrow a pair of shoes from Zaheer Khan as his luggage did not arrive ahead of his debut ODI match.
The lanky pacer also revealed he got nervous when Rahul Dravid asked the reason for him not bowling ahead of the match.
“I was waiting for my luggage and I called my manager. The manager said the luggage will come directly in your room, I was like ‘woahh! we have this facility also, this is nice, in Ranji matches we carry it ourselves’. I was standing and then Rahul Dravid asked Ishant why are you not bowling. I nervously said him that I was waiting for my shoes and that shocked him. I explained him that I kept my luggage in the flight but hadn’t reached me. Rahul Dravid asked me that how will I play the match tomorrow. I was shocked again. I borrowed shoes from Zaheer Khan and played my first ODI match,” Ishant recalled.
17 year old Ishant was initially not picked for the ODI series in Ireland. He got a sudden call up by the selectors. He recalled how he was welcomed to the extremely chilly conditions in Ireland.
“It was so cold there. I was selected for the England Test series and not the ODI series in Ireland. I was chilling at home and then I got a call that you have that come to play ODIs in Ireland. I tell you my friend that it was so cold there, it was like ice for us. So many people including MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa and RP Singh fell ill due to the change of weather conditions. At least, 7 people fell ill,” said Ishant.
Talking about his funny animated reaction towards former Australian captain Steve Smith during the Bangalore test match, Ishant said it was in order to unsettle him. Indian captain Virat Kohli too enjoyed the hilarious aggression shown by Ishant.
“He is an aggressive captain, he loves it when you show aggression and he doesn’t tell you anything for that. He always says just get me the wicket and do whatever you want. He just tells me not to get banned. So, when I was banned in Sri Lanka he came again and said do everything you want but just don’t get banned,” said Ishant.