All he needs now is a night’s sleep. “A good sleep is the best way to recover,” he said amidst laughter!
Ishant hasn’t slept since he landed in New Zealand, apart from a couple of hours here and there.
He’s jet-lagged and sleep-deprived, had not played for weeks, had battled a grade III tear in his ankle, and arrived in New Zealand only a couple of days before the Test.
Ishant admitted, “Physically I wasn’t feeling really good because of lack of sleep. But I was rather happy with my bowling, and how I had recovered from the injury.”
Demanding phase
Ishant had gone through a mentally demanding phase, getting injured in a Ranji Trophy game and then travelling to NCA, Bengaluru for recovery.
“I just worked on my rehab. I did not have any goals of making this tour in mind. If I got fit, it was all right. If I did not, what could I do? Eventually, I had to bowl 21 overs in two days at the NCA before being cleared.”
Ishant turned in a creditable performance on the second day of the Test here, scalping three.
The senior bowler, he was protective of his pack.
“We have been getting 20 wickets on most occasions, in different conditions. A day without wickets doesn’t change anything,” Ishant said defending Jasprit Bumrah.
He was proud of the manner in which India fought back. “This team keeps fighting till the match is over. At no stage do we give up.”
Being tall, Ishant said, had its advantages. “Tall bowlers can get lift and you have seen how important bounce is.”
Right now Ishant is desperate for some sleep! The thunderbolts will come later.
