Ishant Sharma, the 19-year-old from Delhi, might have played his part as India dismissed Australia cheaply in the first innings of the Perth Test (with two for 34) and might have to play a bigger role if India have to secure a historic first win at WACA, but Manoj Prabhakar, the bowling coach of the Delhi Ranji Trophy team, which Sharma plays for, feels he can do better.
"He should bowl a lot close to the wicket, something which he is not doing at present" said Prabhakar, on the sidelines of the Ranji final against Uttar Pradesh.
"Bowling from closer to the stumps will give him that extra swing, help him move the ball better and thereby increase his chances of getting a lot of leg before decisions."
Prabhakar, though palpably happy with Sharma's effort, felt the Australia tour is the right opportunity for him to hone his skills.
"Earlier he (Ishant) didn't swing the ball much," said Prabhakar. "Now that he is able to do that, he should try and add an extra yard or two of pace as well. And he should learn it all in this tour."
On being asked to comment on India's comeback after the Sydney fiasco, Prabhakar first enquired about the scores before making any comments.
"Everyone knows what happened at Sydney but with such a total (413) and our bowlers doing well, Australian batsmen will find it tough," he said.
