In the box: Australian hitters James Faulkner and Adam Voges, and Indian sailor Ishant Sharma. (Source: BCCI / File photo)

Indian sailor Ishant Sharma revealed that his poor performance against Australia in a 2013 ODI match was the turning point in his cricket career. Describing the moment on Espncricinfo’s cricket baazi show, the 31-year-old lanky pitcher said he felt he had betrayed the country.

“The turning point of my life came in 2013. Faulkner hit me for 30 races in an ODI in Mohali that Australia won,” Ishant said.

“At that time I felt that he had betrayed me and my country,” Ishant added, revealing that he cried for two weeks after that Mohali ODI.

“For two or three weeks, I didn’t speak to anyone. I cried a lot. I’m a very tough boy. My mother says she hasn’t seen a tougher person than me. [But] I called my girlfriend and cried on the phone like a child. Those three weeks were like a nightmare. Stop eating. I couldn’t sleep or do anything else. You turn on the television and people criticize you, which disorients you even more, ”he said.

The sailor was referring to the third ODI played between India and Australia in October 2013. Dhoni brought Ishant back on the attack as visitors required 44 of 18 deliveries.

However, James Faulkner, Australian all-rounder, changed the course of the match after crushing Ishant by four sixes in that. The bowler awarded 30 runs in that time, thus changing the equation from 44 of 18 balls to 14 required of 12 deliveries.

Faulkner’s impressive 64 hit on 64 balls helped Australia win the contest as the visitors went 2-1 in the series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mD14EIDezs

After the performance, Ishant was removed from the team after that ODI.

“Now I laugh at that and consider it a blessing in disguise. Sometimes you need a shake to understand your passion. After the Faulkner incident, I went through major changes in my life. After 2013, I started to take things seriously. Before that, if I did poorly, people would come and say, “Okay, it happens.” But after 2013, if someone came up to me and said that, they wouldn’t listen. If I have made a mistake, I have made a mistake. I began to take responsibility for my actions. When you do that, you play every game to win it for the team, ”he said.

Ishant is currently India’s top choice coach in the game’s longest format and is only three wickets away from completing 300 scalps in testing.