Ishant Sharma wowed the cricketing world when as a 19-year-old he troubled a stalwart like Ricky Ponting in his own backyard back in 2007. Everyone took notice of the tall, lanky fast bowler from India who could crank up the pace consistently and generate the kind of bounce that made even the best of batsmen uncomfortable. When he went back to Australia, in 2011, the world was eager to see an encore. Ishant himself was desperate to provide one. But it didn’t happen. Now, he is back to the land he conquered seven years ago, and the 26-year-old with 58 Test matches under his belt, is wiser and more mature. It was evident in the way he spoke about his approach to the forthcoming Test series. “I came here first in 2007 and everyone saw me as this new, young fast bowler from India who was very good. So, when I came back in 2011, I had a lot of expectations from myself but I couldn’t do well,” Ishant said. “This time, I will ensure that I control my feelings and concentrate more on the process rather than putting unwarranted pressure on myself, trying to fulfill unreasonable expectations and ending up disappointed.” The feelings that Ishant spoke of controlling, were not only the ones he has while bowling. He said that when playing Test cricket in Australia, you fight not only the 11 men in the opposition but also the thousands in the stands. “Australia is an amazing country to play cricket. It is a great place for bowlers like me who bang the ball hard on the wicket because of the extra bounce we get,” he said “It’s also a big challenge for a cricketer to play in Australia because not only the opposition team but the crowd too will give you a tough time. But if you do well, they will love you. “After playing two Test series here, I know that you have to be prepared for these things. You have to remain mentally strong because people will say mean things to you even as you are facing the pressure out in the middle. Once you are mentally ready for these things, you will do well.” Although he is only 26, Ishant is by far the most experienced bowler in the Indian fast bowling attack. The next in line is Bhuvneshwar Kumar with 47 Tests fewer than Ishant. The team sees him as the leader of the pack. While he is ready to take up that responsibility, he refuses to believe that he is someone his pace bowling colleagues look up to. “I don’t see myself as a role model for my team mates,” Ishant insisted. “But while I first need to focus on my own bowling, I do share my experiences with my mates and what I have learned from my past tours of Australia or other countries. I share with them what worked for me then and what we did right as a team or bowling group. “In Australia, if you want to bowl full, you have to aim for the fourth stump line. This is the kind of things we share among each other as a bowling group. It is a very small thing but it makes a big difference.” When talking about the challenge at hand, India’s premier fast bowler sounded confident of being able to overcome the Australian batsmen in their own den. He said how they bowl with the old Kookaburra will be the key. “We have plans for each of their batsmen with both the new and old ball. Here, the old ball is going to be very crucial for us. With the old ball, you want to bowl only to a certain batsmen. It is the time you can go for runs and it gets very difficult for a bowler. You are getting tired, your mind is drifting and you lose your basics. How you control these things will be important.”