'I called my girlfriend and cried on the phone like a child' - Ishant Sharma after James Faulkner hit him for 30 runs in an over

Virat Kohli, the Indian captain is very proud of the recent enactments his pace quartet has put on. The most experienced of the bunch is Ishant Sharma. The 6 ft 5-inch tall bowler debuted for India in 2007 and has been a mainstay in the bowling line up for Tests but has not performed his best in the white-ball cricket.

The lanky pacer has picked up 297 wickets in Tests and would be looking forward to completing 300 on India’s highly anticipated tour ‘Down Under’. Ishant is also just 3 games shy of becoming just the 2nd fast bowler from India to feature in 100 Test matches after the great Kapil Dev.

The 31-year old’s biggest moment in limited-overs cricket came when he played a crucial role in the finals of Champions Trophy 2013 and saw India lifting the title. However, a few months after the ICC event came the lowest point in his career.

Narrating the incident as the turning point of his career, Ishant said that he felt like he had ‘betrayed himself and the country’. “The turning point of my life came in 2013. Faulkner hit me for 30 runs in one over in an ODI in Mohali that Australia went on to win,” Sharma was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo in their show Cricketbaazi.

I felt I had betrayed myself and my country: Ishant Sharma

“At that time I felt I had betrayed myself and my country,” said Ishant going on to disclose that he cried for two weeks after that Mohali ODI.

“For two-three weeks, I didn’t speak to anyone. I cried a lot. I am a very tough guy. My mother says she hasn’t seen a tougher person than me. [But] I called my girlfriend and cried on the phone like a child. Those three weeks were like a nightmare. I stopped eating. I couldn’t sleep or do anything else. You switch on the television and people are criticising you, which messes you up even more,” The right-hander added.

Aussies, who are known to be his favourite opposition, were taking on India in an ODI series at the latter’s backyard. In 3rd match Australia needed 44 off 3 overs, skipper Dhoni handed over the ball to the Delhi lad and Faulker hit him for 30 runs. The Australian all-rounder was adjudged Man of the Match for his match-winning 64 off 29 balls but ‘The National Hero’ Ishant was awarded a zero in no time by the Indian media.