'I was the reason behind the team's loss' - Ishant Sharma opens up about 'lowest point' in career

India cricketer Ishant Sharma recalled the time when he broke down almost everyday over a range of six unfortunate deliveries, which cut-short his white-ball career.

Ishant Sharma has been a great servant of Indian cricket. One of the most senior players of the team, Ishant was a specialist bowler for India in tests until 2021, and has a total of 105 test caps to his name. The epic over he delivered to completely torment and ultimately dismiss Ricky Ponting in a Test match back in 2008 as a young 19-year-old, is still afresh in memories.

However, the Delhi star recently opened up about an incident that troubled him the most in his playing career, taking a toll on his mental health for over a period of one month. In a recent interview with Cricbuzz, Ishant spoke about a dreadful over which he considers to be 'the lowest point of his playing career'. He also expressed gratitude for the support extended to him by his wife Pratima Singh, who herself hails from a sporting background, and acknowledged how she helped him get over the bad phase.

I cried for a month: Ishant Sharma reminisces poor phase in career

“My lowest moment was that 2013 match in Mohali against Australia. I don't know if I could ever have moment worse than that because I was...I don't know. It was very tough for me. And it wasn't because I gave away a lot of runs. The thing that hurt me the most was I was the reason behind the team's loss. I was dating my wife at that time and I just spoke to her and I think I just cried for almost a month. I used to call her everyday and cry over the phone saying that team lost because of me,” the 34-year-old said while speaking on Cricbuzz's 'Rise of New India' show.

The tall, lanky pace bowler's reference is to the ODI against Australia back in 2013 in Mohali where James Faulkner had smashed Ishant for 30 runs in a single over which comprised four sixes and a boundary. That solitary over became the turning point as Australia snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Ishant recalled that he felt completely lost at that moment. He used to feel immense pangs of guilt everyday about that 30-run over. That small moment had taken a massive toll on his mental health and there wasn't a single time when he wasn't crying over it. He rued that he could have made a big name for himself in white-ball cricket as well had he not delivered that catastrophic over that cost India the match.

However, he said that his then-teammates, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Shikhar Dhawan were extremely helpful in pulling him out of the depressing state and encouraging him to recuperate. But because of that dreadful over, people started perceiving him as someone who doesn't fit in the realm of limited-overs cricket, thus massively jeopardising his white-ball career.

“The good thing that happened was Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) came to my room and Shikhar (Dhawan), who was playing that game, also came and said, 'Look you have been doing well (Dekh, tu acha khel raha hai).' Because of that one match there became a perception that I am not a white-ball bowler," Ishant said.

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