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Third Test: India bowler Ishant Sharma salutes patient aggression

Image: Ishant Sharma: Another English victim falls to the paceman

India's second Test victory over England was no fluke and was all down to preparation and patience, says bowling hero Ishant Sharma.

Paceman Sharma bounced out five batsmen during his spell either side of lunch to finish with career-best figures of 7-74 to skittle the hosts out for 223 - 95 runs short of their target.

While England captain Alastair Cook was left clinging to his job, the Indians celebrated their first win at Lord's for 28 years having come into the game as underdogs with the English pace attack expected to dominate with swing, seam and the short-ball.

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It was a performance from the tourists that also helped to erase the memories of a 4-0 drubbing by England in 2011.

The 25-year-old Sharma told www.bcci.tv: "They say the Indian batsmen are vulnerable against the short balls but in this Indian team we have batsmen who can play the short ball very well and we have fast bowlers who can bowl good bouncers at will.

"Duncan (Fletcher) keeps telling me, 'bowl more bouncers, bowl more bouncers'. But when you go in with a plan, sometimes it works and at times it doesn't. Things happen suddenly. I got to learn that if you keep trying persistently with the short ball ploy on a flat wicket with nothing in it for you, you can get rewards you never expected."

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In charge

India are now in charge of the series, (they lead 1-0 with three Tests left).

They were thoroughly outplayed on their last tour of England three years ago, where Sharma was an understudy to India's then-frontline bowler Zaheer Khan.

Sharma is at ease with being the leader of India's attack - a tag already bestowed on him by the media back home - but warns against over-estimating his role.

"When I am on the field, I talk to the other pacers and mainly share my experience in a similar situation," he said.

"I just tell them things like how the wicket generally plays and what the particular batsman generally does. I do try to be the leader on the field because I have played more matches than them. But once we're off it, I am not a senior player because we all are almost of same age."

Watch the third Test from Thursday at Southampton live on Sky Sports 2 HD

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