The Indian bowling attack has been mighty impressive in the two Test series in South Africa and England and the form of Ishant Sharma, who has been the leader of the attack, has been very good. He has made a concerted effort to pitch the ball right up and this has translated into wickets for him.
As the Indian side now travels to Australia, Ishant believes that this is his chance of going for the kill as it could well be his final tour of the country.
"I always go for the kill because when you play for your country, you can't think of a second chance. I am 30 right now. I don't know if I will be there for the next tour (of Australia in 2022-23) as I will be 34 by then. I will give my level best on this tour," Ishant said after he played for Delhi in the ongoing Ranji Trophy match.
'I'm matured and know my field settings'
Ishant, who has been part of the Indian team to Australia in 2007-08, 2011-2012 and 2014-2015, believes that he has matured as a bowler and now he is at a much more level mental space.
"I am matured right now and I know my field settings and bowl according to situations. As you grow old, there is lot of wear and tear in your body. It's all about the mental state. If you are fit and in good mind space, you can say you are bowling well," Ishant added.
The lanky fast bowler has taken 256 wickets from 87 Tests and was India's pick of the bowlers in England where he scalped 18 wickets. He was a constant threat to left-handers from around the wicket. He was the leader of the pack and with the amount of experience under his belt, he can be a great mentor to the young bowlers coming through the ranks.
"I share my experience, I mean whatever experience I have. I can set the field and tell them which lengths to bowl on particular tracks. Once the younger lot becomes senior, they should also then guide the juniors," Ishant said.
In the absence of David Warner and Steve Smith, the Indian side appears to be favourites, but Ishant is not taking anything for granted. He says that the Australian side in their own conditions can be a threat and that the players who will play have mettle.
"Whoever plays for Australia must have some quality and have been a performer at their first-class level. So you can't take them lightly. Australia, in general, is a tough side, the crowd can make it even tougher. But it can also make you a tough player and I never had any issues with that," Ishant added.
