Ishant Sharma is a man of few words -- and never mind his send-off of Matthew Hayden! -- but despite the economy of words, he still comes across as an intelligent, level-headed young man.

Immediately after picking up his first international man of the match award for figures of four for 38 against Australia at the MCG on Sunday, Ishant said he hadn't done anything different on this day compared to the rest of the tour.

"I did nothing extra. I was just sticking to the plans we had prepared for each batsman. It was the first time in this one-day series that I was bowling with the new ball, but there was no pressure.

“I enjoyed the fact that the captain and the seniors had enough belief in me to entrust me with the new ball.

They told me to concentrate on bowling well, and testing the batsmen out."

Ishant, who revealed that he was a little tired because he had a stomach ache, went for 18 in his second over — marred by two no-balls — as Hayden went after him. "Dhoni came and told me to stick to my plans. He told me to be myself and to ask myself what I wanted to do. That calmed me down and relaxed me," he added. So calm and relaxed, he might have added, that in his next 7.1 overs, he picked up four for 20, including Hayden and Ricky Ponting.

Ponting had been all praise for Ishant in the latter's presence, just before the Delhi paceman himself met the media. "It feels very good to receive a compliment from my favourite batsman," observed the 19-year-old, shyly, at the same time enjoying his hold over Australia's captain. "The plan to Ponting was to keep the ball on the fourth stump, and it worked today."

Ishant said the team hadn't been nervous even when they lost three for 13 midway through what should have been a regulation chase. "Cricket is a very funny game, things can suddenly change," Ishant noted with the sagacity of a veteran. "We were never switched off, we were always switched on. We knew that till the last run was scored, we had to be on our toes."