'I was more nervous about the whole travel bit than about match' - Ishant Sharma recalls his ODI debut series

India's bowling star, Ishant Sharma, reflected on his nerve-racking 2007 experience when he was selected for the Indian Team before the ODI series against South Africa. A 19-year-old at the time, Ishant found himself thrust into the limelight due to multiple players falling sick.

As he embarked on his journey to Ireland for an ODI series, the pacer's nerves were palpable. Yet, it wasn't the impending match that caused him the most anxiety—it was the prospect of navigating an overseas trip alone.

To his disappointment, upon landing in Ireland, Ishant discovered that his kit bag had gone missing. "I was more nervous about the whole travel bit than about a match... I slept that night in the clothes I traveled in. I didn’t have my suitcase and my kit bag," said Sharma as quoted by News 18.

With no cards and all his money stashed in his missing bag, the situation seemed dire. Ignorant of the possibility of claiming a stolen kit bag, Ishant soldiered on.

A twist of fate arrived when the then-India captain, Rahul Dravid, revealed that Ishant would debut the next day in the ODI match. However, the young cricketer's concerns weren't about the impending match, but rather how he'd play without shoes. A fortuitous interaction with Zaheer Khan, who gave him a pair of size 11 shoes, saved the day.

Reflecting on his debut Test match, Ishant spoke about the overwhelming experience of sharing a dressing room with cricket legends like Harbhajan Singh, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, and others. Zaheer Khan's empathetic support helped ease his concerns, allowing Ishant to find his comfort.

"Rahul Dravid told me that I have to debut the next day and I responded, ‘But I can’t play barefoot!’ I didn’t even practice. I asked Zak (Zaheer Khan) for a pair of size 11 shoes so I could play the match. He gave me some shoes, but my toe kept hurting, but I didn’t care," he added.

I saw my father in tears: Ishant Sharma

Ishant's journey to international cricket wasn't just marked by his own emotions. Recalling his father's tears of joy upon hearing about his India selection, he revealed a side of their relationship he hadn't experienced before.

"I was at home when I got a call for India selection. I still remember that day, for the first time, I saw my father in tears. They were tears of joy, and he told me this is just the start. I had never hugged my father, we bonded well but obviously, we would have occasional disagreements over certain topics, and he would suppress his emotions," Ishant added.

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