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Ishant Sharma Turns 37: Remembering The Spell That Made Ricky Ponting Dance

Jatin

Ishant Sharma bamboozled Ricky Ponting [Source: AFP Photos]Ishant Sharma bamboozled Ricky Ponting [Source: AFP Photos]

There are some moments in cricket that stay etched forever and for Indian fans, one such memory is from January 19, 2008 at the WACA in Perth. Ishant Sharma, all of 19 and just four Tests old, bowled a spell that shook the mighty Aussies and made Ricky Ponting hop, skip and jump like never before.

As Ishant Sharma celebrates his 37th birthday, it is only fitting we rewind to that day when a tall, lanky teenager made the Australian captain dance to his tunes.

Ponting Vs Ishant: A Battle For The Ages

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy of 2008 was no ordinary series. India had copped a raw deal in Sydney with poor umpiring calls and Michael Clarke’s late strikes leaving the team bruised. With the series at 2-0 and tempers flaring, India walked into the fourth Test in Perth with a point to prove.

Ishant had already shown glimpses of promise, having picked his maiden five-for against Pakistan weeks earlier, but nobody expected what was to follow at the WACA.

Tall, long-haired and brimming with confidence, Ishant steamed in from the Members’ End. His lengths were immaculate, just short enough to keep Ricky Ponting unsure whether to come forward or hang back. The ball jagged back in off the seam, some skidded on and every delivery carried menace.

Ponting left a few, missed a couple and wore one or two on the pads. The great Australian captain, usually so assured, looked like a cat on a hot tin roof. The pressure kept mounting and Ishant with the energy of a teenager and the heart of a lion, kept coming.

Finally, one delivery did the trick. A touch fuller, drawing Ponting forward into an awkward prod and Rahul Dravid at first slip did the rest. Ponting was gone. The WACA roared and so did Ishant.

India Taste Rare Success Down Under

That dismissal wasn’t just a wicket; it was a turning point. India went on to defend 413 and clinched a famous win in Perth, pulling the series back to 2-1. For Ishant, it was the spell that announced him to the world.

The Legacy Of That Spell

Coming to the present, Ishant has gone on to become one of India’s most distinguished Test cricketers with 105 Tests under his belt. He never officially hung up his boots from international cricket, but his last outing for India came in 2021.

Since then, he has shifted focus to domestic cricket and the IPL, most recently turning out for Gujarat Titans in the 2025 season. Retirement may not be stamped yet but the international chapter seems closed.

However, if there is one image that defines Ishant’s career, it is the sight of Ricky Ponting, one of the finest batters of his generation, dancing to the tunes of a 19-year-old Indian quick on one of the fastest pitches in the world.

On his 37th birthday, fans will surely remember that morning at the WACA when Ishant Sharma didn’t just bowl a spell, he wrote himself into Indian cricket legend.