IND vs ENG: Ishant Sharma becomes 11th Indian to reach 100 Tests; second pacer from country to reach mark
Ishant Sharma on Wednesday became the 11th Indian cricketer, and only the second pacer from the country after Kapil Dev to play 100 Tests. The Indian bowler achieved the feat during the third match of the four-Test series against England in Motera.
The pacer, who made his Test debut in 2007, has taken 302 wickets in 99 matches in the longest format of the game. Over the years, Ishant has established himself as one of the key members of the Indian Test lineup.
A bowler who fits perfectly into the definition of the word 'workhorse', Ishant's longevity as a fast bowler sets him apart from many of his contemporaries in world cricket. No current fast bowler other than the English duo of James Anderson (158) and Stuart Broad (145) has played more than 100 Tests.
In Test cricket's history, only 10 pacers have reached the mark so far, with Ishant joining the elite list which includes the likes of Australia's Glenn McGrath, Pakistan's Wasim Akram, Sri Lanka's Chaminda Vaas, West Indies' Courtney Walsh and South Africa's Shaun Pollock, among others.
At one stage of his career, Ishant seemed to have run out of fuel. However, the fire didn't ever extinguish as Ishant continued to make tweaks into his game to make a tremendous comeback in the past three years.
The pacer has taken 76 of his 302 wickets in his last 20 Test matches, which is a testament to his spectacular improvement as a fast bowler.
Among the Indian bowlers, Ishant Sharma is the fourth to reach 100 Tests after Anil Kumble (132 Tests), Kapil Dev (131 Tests) and Harbhajan Singh (103 Tests).
Among the leading wicket-takers from the country, Ishant stands sixth. In the first Test of the ongoing series against England, Ishant reached the 300-wicket mark in the longest format of the game.
