Stats reveal Indian warrior Sharma a Down Under dud

Indian paceman Ishant Sharma not troubled by his terrible record in Australia.

Ishant Sharma prepares for India’s opening tour game at the SCG. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Ishant Sharma might not get the chance to poke faces at Steve Smith this tour, but the joke will be on him if the fast bowler doesn’t improve his record in Australia.

Sharma and Smith passed like ships in the night at the SCG yesterday, as the deposed Australian captain came in for a rigorous net session against Test quicks Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins before the Indian entourage arrived. On home soil last year, Sharma took on the persona of a tribal warrior as he and Smith faced off in a bizarre body language powerplay, but it’s unlikely the veteran paceman will be so bold here in Australia.

Damning statistics from Sharma’s 10 Test matches Down Under reveal he could be the worst international fast bowler ever to tour here.

Since first touring in 2008 when he was the final wicket taken by Michael Clarke in the infamous “Monkeygate” Test at the SCG, Sharma has taken just 20 wickets at a horrifying average of one every 62 runs conceded. Sharma’s strike rate is just as dire, taking a wicket every 105 balls in this country. Extraordinary for a world-class star with more than 250 Test wickets to his name.

Of all the big-name overseas quicks to have toured enough to send down 2000 deliveries or more in Australia, Sharma has the most dismal record of the lot.

Overall, only part-time West Indian spinner Carl Hooper has a worse Test record in Australia.

But with no arch-rival Smith to square off against and no David Warner, will the goalposts move this summer?

Sharma has worked hard with Australian great Jason Gillespie during the English county summer but is adamant he doesn’t need to change a thing ahead of next week’s first Test in Adelaide.

“I have played 11 years now so I don’t need to think about what I need to do well,” he said.

“I’m not that kind of person who thinks about what happened in the past. I am always looking forward to what happens in the ­future. I’m looking forward and I’m going to do well on this tour as well.

“I haven’t spoken to (Gillespie) before this tour. He helped me a lot with the county circuit so it was a pretty good experience for me.”

Less than 48 hours after David Warner was invited back into the Australian fold to face the Aussie quicks under the watchful eye of Justin Langer, Smith got his turn yesterday.

He faced a searing examination from Starc and Hazlewood in particular before bowling leg-spin in the nets to CA XI players.

Sharma won’t get a chance to rekindle his haka-like standoff with Smith, and refused to nominate who his new Australian target might be.

“It’s very difficult to say right now (about facial expressions). I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said.

“When the series will start we will get to know what faces to make.

“Whoever is playing for their country is always good. There is no one key batsman to look out for but to get everyone all out.”

There is a feeling this is India’s best chance to win a series in Australia, but Sharma is refusing to buy into favouritism talk.

“We are pretty motivated,” he said. “The aim right now is to win the series and that is what everyone is focusing on. We don’t even think of personal performances, just one aim, to win a series in Australia. We don’t really think about all these (favouritism) things. It depends on a given day. We don’t take them lightly.”