The cricket fans still remember the viral face-off battle between Ishant Sharma and Steve Smith during a Test match in Bengaluru. It was an instant hit garnering a lot of attention from the fans across the globe.
The incident took during a very tiring session of Test cricket where the players seemed to be at their individual best. While one was trying to get the better of the other, Ishant’s mocking of Smith became a viral sensation.
Ishant Sharma opens up on the funny incident with Steve Smith
During a recent chat with teammate Mayank Agarwal for bcci.tv, Ishant Sharma opened up on the funny incident. The tall and lanky pacer said it was just a case doing whatever he could to upset Steve Smith’s rhythm, who once set is difficult to get out.
“It was a close game and the pitch was doing things. We had to win the match after losing in Pune,” Ishant recalled. “People tend to do things when the emotions are running high and you do anything to upset the batsman. Whatever I could do to upset him, I just did that. Smith upsets the bowlers a lot, we know if we dismissed him, then we could go on to win the match. Even that day he was well set and we needed his wicket.”
“I was just trying to upset him and was thinking how to do it, I was just trying to get him out of his comfort zone. I was trying to make him uncomfortable,” he added.
Meanwhile, it was not just the reaction of Ishant Sharma, even Virat Kohli amused look served fun for a lot of cricket fans. The 97 Tests veteran also showered praise on his skipper Kohli, saying he allows his players to express on the field. The pacer will now be itching to get back on the field, and resume training and is eyeing the ICC World Test Championship.