Nehra sir guides me through self-doubt: Pacer Ashok Sharma
He might have played just six IPL games for Gujarat Titans but mentorship of head coach Ashish Nehra has certainly helped rookie pacer Ashok Sharma evolve as a potent weapon, ready to be unleashed against Zimbabwe in the upcoming three-match T20I series.
The first match will be played here on Thursday.
“Whenever I talk about belief, I think of (Ashish) Nehra sir. I used to go to him with every doubt. Whenever I had any self-doubt or needed to ask something, I would approach him,” Ashok, who had just turned 24 last month, told JioStar. “He (Nehra) had told me once, ‘Even if you come to me at midnight with a question, I will be ready for you.’ So whenever I had any doubt, whether it was about a delivery or anything related to my bowling, I would go to him.
“After matches, I would go to his room and watch videos of my bowling. I would ask him what more I could perfect and what I needed to work on. I consider him my mentor. I have learned so much from him this IPL season, and he has helped me a lot,” said one of India’s fastest bowlers, who plays domestic cricket for Rajasthan. Ashok, who clocked 95.8 miles (154.2 km) for GT during an IPL match against Rajasthan Royals at Motera, is confident of doing well against Zimbabwe but his ultimate aim is to play Test cricket for India.
“My first target will be to wear the India jersey. I am waiting for that moment, to wear that jersey and represent my nation. Now that I am in the squad for the series against Zimbabwe, my next target will be to take as many wickets as possible and try to play as many matches as I can. I want to make this opportunity count.
“My next goal after that will be to play red-ball cricket for India as soon as possible,” said Ashok, who has taken 14 wickets in four Ranji Trophy games. Like many other pacers, Ashok idolises the legendary South African fast bowler Dale Steyn.
“Dale Steyn is a bowler who is a match-winner in himself. On his day, when his bowling was on point, he could win matches single-handedly.
He could take the game away from the opposition in a matter of a few overs. “I follow him in terms of his aggression, his run-up, his intensity, and the way he used to set up batters. Everything about him is inspiring. He is someone I look up to as a fast bowler.”
Talking about guidance, it is not just Nehra, who has given priceless advice, but training with 100-Test veteran Ishant Sharma and India red ball specialist Mohammed Siraj has helped him learn new aspects about his own bowling. “When I joined the Gujarat Titans camp for the first time, Ishant Sharma bhai was standing there. He asked me about my recent performance, how many wickets I had taken in Ranji Trophy and what my figures looked like. I told him, ‘Bhaiya, I have 16 wickets in four matches.’
“He said, ‘Everything looks good. You are bowling well. But if you work a little more on your length, especially the good length area, those 16 wickets in four matches can easily become 24. Just focus on hitting that consistent length.’” Siraj also helped him during net sessions, providing solutions whenever he saw any scope for improvement.
“I had a lot of talks with Siraj bhaiya as well. I would discuss all these things with him. Siraj bhaiya would explain everything to me very well. He would stand with me and watch two or three of my deliveries. Then he would tell me, ‘Do this, make this change, try this.’
“So I learned a lot from him. I have carried all those learnings with me. Whenever I get time to practice in Jaipur, I focus on those things and try to do them even better,” he concluded.
