Life is a puzzle and nobody knows it better than Ishant Sharma. At 23, the medium-pacer has already witnessed the highs and lows in his career. But he isn't ready to dwell on the lows. Having made it to the squad for the New Zealand series, the Delhi speedster is ready to start afresh.
For a cricketer it's painful to be out of action for a long time, but Ishant feels those days were actually a lesson for him. "To be honest I haven't missed much of international cricket. It was actually the fag end of the season, so most of the players were in a holiday mode. While, most of my teammates could enjoy this break with friends and family, I was bed-ridden. Yes, it did hurt," Ishant told TOI.
But for him, it's all in the past now. "I am really looking forward to the New Zealand series. I feel excited to be back after six months," he added.
In these six months, Ishant's only focus was to get back to cricket. "There was a time when I even thought of appearing for Class XI examinations, but it has remained just a thought," Ishant quipped.
He isn't ready to set any targets though. "It's better to start that way. The moment you set a goal, you are bound to be under pressure. It's an important series for me and I want to play freely."
Ishant believes that the absence of Rahul Dravid won't be a big blow. "It's true that Rahul bhai will be missed, but this is how life goes. After a certain point of time, one has to call it a day. With Virat (Kohli), Manoj (Tiwary), Suresh (Raina) in good-form, we shouldn't be worried," he admitted.
For the speedster, the New Zealand series could well be a new beginning. "Last season was a disappointing one for us. The defeats against Australia and England really made the going tough. So, this time we have to start on a positive note," he said, adding that a 2-0 victory against the Kiwis can indeed be a morale booster for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's brigade.
"Our target would be to thump New Zealand 2-0 and then focus on the series to come. We will be playing 10 Test matches this year, and we will have to overcome odds," a confident Ishant remarked.
He is also happy with the way Yuvraj Singh has made a comeback. "It's incredible. There was a time when I thought Yuvi pa wouldn't be able to play again, but he proved us wrong," Sharma added.
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