I asked Zak for a pair of size 11 shoes so I could play my debut ODI match: Ishant Sharma | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan formed a formidable pair as they led India’s new ball attack across all formats for several years. Yet, their connection extended beyond the cricket field, with Zaheer playing a pivotal role in shaping Ishant’s ODI and Test debut experiences.

The anticipation and jitters before an international debut are universal. Ishant, now a seasoned campaigner, vividly recalls his debut nerves.
His initiation into the national team was marked by a unique circumstance – he received a sudden call-up to join the team in Ireland for an ODI series due to numerous players falling ill. This unexpected summons had him feeling both anxious and apprehensive.

For Ishant, who had participated in only a handful of Ranji Trophy encounters at that point, the scenario was further complicated by his selection for the upcoming Test series against England.
His maiden journey beyond Indian borders took him to England and then on to Ireland, a solo expedition that marked his first venture abroad. Unfortunately, his journey was marred by the loss of his luggage and cricket kit during transit, adding an additional layer of challenge to his debut chapter.
So when the then-skipper Rahul Dravid informed him that he will be making his debut in the match the next day, Ishant had not even had a nets session in Ireland nor had proper shoes to play the match the next day. He was loaned his shoes by Zaheer Khan.
“I was more nervous about the whole travel bit than about a match. Somehow, I made it to Ireland, jet-lagged, only to realise that my kit bag was missing. I knew that stuff gets stolen on the train but I had no idea this could happen on a flight,” Ishant Sharma said in Part 2 of his interview on Home of Heroes on JioCinema.

Ishant shared how Zaheer Khan played an important role in his ODI and Test debuts -– lending him shoes for one and easing him out in the dressing room for the other, along with the fascinating back stories that led up to the big day.
“I slept that night in the clothes I travelled in. I didn’t have my suitcase and my kit bag. I didn’t have any cards back then, so all my money was also there. I never knew what to use between a debit or credit card, so my father just told me to use cash. I didn’t even know I could claim that my kit bag was stolen, so I hadn’t done that.
“Rahul Dravid told me that I have to debut the next day and I responded, ‘But I can’t play barefoot!’ I didn’t even practice. I asked Zak (Zaheer Khan) for a pair of size 11 shoes so I could play the match. He gave me some shoes, but my toe kept hurting, but I didn’t care,” Ishant said.
Zaheer was also there to ease Ishant into the team when Ishant made his Test debut in the Bangladesh series. Ishant was totally overwhelmed sharing the dressing room with the star players he had till then watched only on television.
“I remember the Bangladesh series where I made my Test debut. A dressing room with Paaji (Harbhajan Singh), Rahul bhai, Dada (Saurav Ganguly), Yuvi bhai (Yuvraj Singh), and Wasim bhai (Wasim Jaffer) was overwhelming,” he said in the interview.
“I used to sit with Zak and watch them on TV and now suddenly sharing the room with them. I wanted to go and lie down but somehow I controlled my feeling. I couldn’t muster the courage to say a word. Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) and RP Singh were there. I was in a situation where a goat was surrounded by lions. Zak imagined what I was going through and told me to chill and relax. After that, I felt a lot more comfortable, but I was sitting quietly in a corner,” he said.
Ishant also talked about when he was first selected for the Indian team and the way his father reacted to the news.
“I debuted in Bangladesh. I was at home when I got a call for India selection. I still remember that day, for the first time, I saw my father in tears. They were tears of joy, and he told me this is just the start. I had never hugged my father, we bonded well but obviously, we would have occasional disagreements over certain topics, and he would suppress his emotions. He would want to appear strong. He never imagined this day would come,” said Ishant.
(With IANS Inputs)