The Top 5 Unforgettable Bowling Spells of the Indian Pacer

Indian pacer Ishant Sharma celebrates his 36th birthday. (September 2). He first rose to popularity during Australia's 2007-8 Test Series and has since played 100 tests. Besides a decorated test career, Ishan enjoyed success in limited-overs cricket, especially winning the Champions trophy with the men in blue in 2013. In 2020, he was honoured with the distinguished Arjuna Award for his stellar contributions to the sport. Today, on this special day, we’ll revisit the top five bowling performances by the premier bowler. 

1. Seven Wicket Haul against England, 2014, 2nd Test

Ishant Sharma bowled a splendid spell in the second test of India’s tour of England in 2014, where he ripped through England’s batting attack with his menacing short ball and ended up with seven wickets to his name during England’s second innings. India won that match by 95 runs

2. Match Defining Spell vs England, 2013, Champions Trophy 

Ishant Sharma changed the fate of the game in the space of six balls against the Three Lions in the 2013 Champions Trophy. While defending a below-par total of 130, Sharma bowled an excellent 18th over where he picked two back-to-back wickets- Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara to shift the game in India’s favour. 

3. Six Wicket Haul vs New Zealand

In the second test match versus Kiwis in 2014, the lanky pacer claimed six wickets including the prized scalps of Peter Fulton, Tom Latham and Hamish Rutherford. He played a pivotal role in breaking NZ’s top order.

4. Match Saving Spell vs KOL, Ind T20 League 2023. 

Sharma was impressive last year during his time with Delhi(DEL). He played a critical role in helping DEL secure their first win of the season against a potent Kolkata (KOL) side. Sharma conceded only 19 runs and dismissed Nitish Rana and Sunil Narine. His efforts earned him the Player of the Match award as he propelled his team to victory in the 20th over.      

5. Five-fer vs Kochi Tuskers in Ind T20 League 2021. 

In 2011 Ishant made an enormous impact while defending a lowly 129-run target for now defunct Deccan Chargers. He took five wickets while conceding only 12 runs, securing a win for his side and bagging the Player of the Match award for his suburb performance.