India vs Australia: Want to give my best on what could be my last tour, says Ishant Sharma

Over a decade after he burst into limelight as a 19-year-old with a spell that rattled Test cricket’s second highest run-getter Ricky Ponting, Ishant Sharma prepares for what could be his last tour Down Under.

“I am 30 right now. I am not sure if I’ll be around the next time India tour Australia because I’ll be 34 then. So, I’ll give my level best this time. I am matured, I can bowl according to situations,” said the pacer after Delhi’s drawn Ranji Trophy match against Himachal Pradesh, his first competitive game since the September Oval Test.

Playing after over two months, Ishant collected four wickets in 28.3 overs for Delhi on a Ferozeshah Kotla wicket that had little for the fast bowlers. “I am feeling good and happy with the way I went in the game, so I am feeling 100% fit.”

With Australia expected to be tougher for Indian bowlers than South Africa and England despite the absence of David Warner and Steven Smith, India will rely on his experience on surfaces that have become more batting-friendly. This will be his fourth trip to Australia, where he has played 10 Tests, with 351 overs under his belt and 20 wickets as reward. “You can say that (Warner and Smith’s absence makes batting look weaker). Records prove that. They have scored 60% of the team’s runs,” he said.

However, he added that the wickets could be different from what the team encountered in England and South Africa. “Conditions are tough everywhere, the five Tests in England were tough.... The wickets in South Africa were more bowling friendly and were tougher for the batsmen. In Australia, we’ll have to go and see what the conditions will be like. Generally, in Australia, it is not only the players who are tough but also the crowd. So many things go against you. Even if you go out, there are things against you.... As a senior I will share my experience, like set the field and help them that way,” said Ishant, who has played 87 Tests.

With the Australians trying to resurrect their ‘bad boy image’ after the ball-tampering scandal and the ensuing overhaul, it looks that things could be a bit easy but Ishant says the team has to be prepared for any eventuality. “With Australians you don’t know. When you are playing for the country, you’ll get tough conditions, we will have to be ready for any challenge.”