Off-colour Ishant Sharma needs to balance his workload and the ongoing India-Sri Lanka Test series is a golden opportunity for the beanpole pacer to regain his form, said former pace spearhead Javagal Srinath.
"At the age of 20-21, the more you bowl the better you get. But somewhere down the line one needs to strike a balance," Srinath said.
"And this is where he requires sports science. I feel with time Ishant will also learn the importance of that," he added.
Ishant has not been the same bowler he looked like in Australia last year, but Srinath was still not ready to give up on the youngster.
"Ishant is playing quite a few Twenty20 and ODIs and on such flat wickets any bowler is bound to go for runs. But he has wonderful potential. He has set very high standards for himself.
"The Test series against Sri Lanka is a great platform for Ishant to hit the line and length. It is a great opportunity to experiment and get back his rhythm," added Srinath.
According to him, the game was evolving and bowlers were getting more and more cornered. "Cricket is now evolving. With the advent of Twenty20, it is attracting more fans. All forms of the game is a challenge for a player but the bowlers are always in the back foot in ODIs and Twenty20.
"However, we are reading too much into Ishant. We need to leave him alone and ensure that we are not putting too much pressure on him," he said.
Srinath, meanwhile, welcomed S Sreesanth's return to the Indian team but warned the temperamental pacer to mend his on-field behaviour. "Sreesanth will be interesting to look out for. His inclusion is a good sign for the team and good for him too," he said.
"He is a good bowler but he should ensure that he keeps his mind right. If he does so it will be a value addition to the Indian bowling department," added Srinath.
