Kirsten hints at more Ishant heroics in final Test
Posted on Aug 06, 2008 at 00:10 | Updated Aug 06, 2008 at 12:14
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Colombo: Ishant Sharma needed three innings to find the correct length to bowl in Sri Lankan conditions and the result in Galle was an electrifying match-winning performance.
Not only did the lanky 19-year-old Delhi fast bowler's accuracy play a role, his pace had an unsettling effect on Sri Lanka's top order to help level the Idea Series 1-1 at Galle International.
Now he gets a chance to create even more havoc for the Sri Lanka batsmen in the third Test at Saravanamuttu Oval starting on Friday. The Oval's pitch is as close to Australian conditions as you can find in Asia and here accuracy and length is needed to keep the batsmen guessing.
As South Africa's equally tall Shaun Pollock has shown more than once in Asia, length and accuracy are the reasons for success and Sharma's ability to hit the right length earned those two valuable wickets in the pre-lunch session on Sunday during the second Test match.
The Sara Oval conditions often make for a far tougher contest than is usual in Asia and as former Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody pointed out more than once, the pitch has good bounce and quality fast bowling will always get wickets.
But where Sharma is likely to play as pivotal a role as he did in Galle is his height and an ability to exploit the bounce in the pitch that can so easily unsettle the batsmen. His groomed run-up, lean body and action make him an ideal new ball bowler and India can so easily win this series through his ability to penetrate as he did in what were unsympathetic conditions in Galle.
India's coach, Gary Kirsten, talked at length about Sharma's Galle efforts in a media conference before heading for the Colombo International airport to visit an ailing mother in Cape Town.
"Look, he is quality seamer," said Kirsten, who declined to compare him with someone like Allan Donald at the same age. "At the moment he stands out in the Indian set up. He is probably our best seamer at the moment.
"I am very impressed by what he has to offer and that is important to us. There are always going to be little issues that he needs to handle, but he is a young bowler and is learning how to go about in Test cricket.
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Posted By Monoj Bhatt
\"Team India Fans\" :
Do we have a REALLY GOOD COACH ?
\"YES\" --- the unanimous answer .
Mr. Kristen, you
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