I first saw Ishant bowl in the nets in England and it was difficult to be impressed. In the few games that followed, he bowled no-balls, seemed to lack rhythm and pace and yet those around him were optimistic. He wasn’t yet showing the world what he was capable of.

Then Australia happened and he took to the country like few others have. Australia can either weigh you down or charge you up. It is not the country that has been represented by its cricketers on Indian television. It is a tough land but one that recognises the spirit in man. As early as the Sydney Test, Ishant had been stamped as one to watch by canny observers who give praise sparingly.

Thereupon he blossomed and between the second and third Tests, worked on the ball that leaves the right-handers. Till that moment, he had been one-dimensional, bowling quickly but predictably. In the years to come, if he can retain his ability to learn, his spell of bowling to Ponting at Perth will become a defining moment. Australia knew they had a fight on their hands from a man who had taken no more than a handful of wickets. He had pace but more than anything else he was confident and willing to back himself. From that moment onwards, with the batsman aware that the ball could go either way, he became, to quote Adam Gilchrist after the Adelaide Test, “lethal”.

The ability to make the ball go both ways is something that the other great fast-bowling talent in India, Sreesanth, needs to work seriously on. His outswinger is a rare gift but is currently being threatened by the incoming ball, like it is with Irfan Pathan. A Sharma-Sreesanth opening ticket has the potential of becoming the best we have had.

... contd.