Bharat Arun explains how the coaching staff transformed Ishant Sharma and Mohammad Shami
India's bowling coach Bharat Arun has revealed how the team management played a crucial role in the evolution of the current Indian fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and Mohammad Shami. The careers of both pacers had slumped owing to fitness issues and their inability to keep a check on the run flow. However, Arun and his team transformed them by correcting their mistakes.
In a live chat with Indranil Basu on Sportskeeda Cricket's Facebook page, Bharat Arun explained the role that the backroom staff played in the transformation of Ishant Sharma and Mohammad Shami. The bowling coach also talked about how he and Ravi Shastri had taken the gamble of trying out Jasprit Bumrah during the South Africa tour two years ago.
Bharat Arun discloses the recent changes that Ishant Sharma and Mohammad Shami have made
Bharat Arun pointed out that Mohammad Shami's USP is his fitness. He highlighted how he runs in like a sprinter and stated that his fitness levels had a positive impact on his bowling performance.
Arun felt that Mohammad Shami had a lot of talent, which was why even Vivian Richards had lauded his bowling skills. However, the team management believed that he could improve a lot if he stopped bowling deliveries down the leg-side.
"We showed Shami that most of the balls that he was trying were going down the leg, which was clipped off the legs for a boundary. So, invariably, most of the balls that he bowled down the leg went for runs," Arun stated.
"We found that when Shami was bowling outside the off stump, the batsmen were either leaving the ball, and he was getting frustrated. So, he tried to target the batsmen's pads and went for runs," he continued.
The coaching staff told him to continue bowling to the off-stump line irrespective of the results he got. Mohammad Shami listened to the advice and, ultimately, became more consistent.
Talking about Ishant Sharma, Arun opined that his length was perfect. However, his line outside the off-stump was not troubling batsmen much as they could leave the deliveries with supreme ease.
"His lengths were immaculate, but his line was a tad outside the off stump. So, we decided that the same length he has to make the batsmen play more," Arun said.
Lastly, the Indian bowling coach stressed how Ishant Sharma's tilted wrist position assisted him in bowling some beauties and concluded with the following statement.
"Also, Ishant has got a slightly tilted wrist. When he bowls from the middle of the box, his wrist comes in a beautiful angle, where the ball comes into the right-handed batsmen. Also, the same thing happens when he goes round the wicket. Very few bowlers in world cricket can go from around the wicket when they bowl to a left-handed batsman, and they can get the ball to shape in and then to move out consistently. That happens because of the angle of Ishant Sharma's wrist, which is slightly tilted. Having understood that, he uses it to his advantage, and that is why he has been such a great bowler to left-handers as well."