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India hails Lord's hero Sharma

Tendulkar leads chorus of praise for bowler

Much-ridiculed paceman Ishant Sharma is the toast of India after a devastating spell of bowling demolished England at Lord's, securing his team's first overseas victory for three years.

Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar described Sharma's career best performance on Monday as "exceptional" while newspapers said the 25-year-old had earned the right to be regarded as the spearhead of India's attack.

The long-haired and lanky Sharma took 7-for-74 on the final day of the second Test in London as India won their first Test away from home since 2011.

Speaking to the Indian Express, Tendulkar called it a "remarkable win and a precious day for the entire country" while reserving special praise for Sharma, who was recently dropped from the one-day and Twenty20 sides.

"He is a very hard-working guy and a great talent. We all have always had a great faith in him and today he was just exceptional," said Tendulkar, who retired last year.

Sharma's figures were the best by any Indian fast bowler in the fourth innings of a Test, with the team usually reliant on spin to try and clean up the remaining wickets.

But after taking the wicket of England's beleaguered captain Alastair Cook on Sunday, Sharma ripped through the rest of the order on Monday in a hostile spell of short-pitched bowling revisiting England's Ashes woes against Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris last summer.

Recalling how Sharma became a butt of jokes on social media last year when he took a pounding against Australia, the Times of India said "one of the most ridiculed Indian cricketers silenced his critics".

The Hindustan Times said that Sharma had used the "short ball to perfection" as a string of England batsman fell victim to his bouncers.

"Indian batsmen have often been at the receiving end of short-pitched bowling abroad but on Monday, Ishant Sharma dished out some heavy chin music himself," said the Hindustan Times.

"It was a master plan by (Indian captain Mahendra Singh) Dhoni and executed to perfection by Sharma," the paper added.

The victory has helped ease pressure on Dhoni, who has been facing calls to quit over his team's poor record since the retirement of a series of batting greats including Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Tendulkar.

"For India, this is an important victory, achieved by a young side poised to stride confidently into the future," said The Mail Today.

"This a new team, with new players and a fresh mindset. The era of Tendulkar and other greats is history."