New Delhi: Much-ridiculed paceman Ishant Sharma was the toast of India on Tuesday 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 longhair and lanky Sharma, who has been compared by the English media to an Afghan hound, 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.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the congratulations for “the wonderful victory” — India’s first at the headquarters of cricket in 28 years.

“We are very delighted & proud of the great performance,” Modi said on Twitter.

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 side.

“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 clean up.

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 more familiar in the Caribbean.

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.”

Meanwhile, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hailed his side’s determination in forcing the collapse of England who faced new trouble Tuesday when wicketkeeper Matt Prior withdrew for at least the rest of the season.

India head towards the third Test in Southampton on Sunday in a dominant position against a demoralised England — crushed by 95 runs at Lord’s on Monday.

India ended a woeful sequence of 15 successive Tests without an away victory. England have now not won in 10 Tests.

Now India will hope for a win off the field when Ravindra Jadeja takes part Tuesday in a preliminary hearing on International Cricket Council disciplinary charges arising from his alleged confrontation with England’s James Anderson during the first Test in Nottingham.

The pair shook hands at Lord’s after Jadeja ran out Anderson to seal only India’s second Test win at the ‘home of cricket’ in 82 years of trying following ar five-wicket victory back in 1986.

“This is a result of hard effort ... and it was fantastic to see the determination the guys showed,” said Dhoni.

“It seems it will be my last at Lord’s, for sure ... so it’s definitely memorable,” the 33-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman added.

Dhoni said Sharma needed some persuading a plan he’d hatched in conjunction with India coach Duncan Fletcher, formerly in charge of England.

“To start with it was very difficult to convince him.

“I set the field for him so that he doesn’t even think of bowling up -he is forced to bowl the length that I want him to bowl.”

The plan worked better than even Dhoni could have hoped for.

Moeen Ali was caught at short leg off a bouncer to the last ball before lunch. After the break Matt Prior, Ben Stokes — who completed a pair — and Joe Root all fell trying to hook Sharma.

“He [Sharma] has the height so he can exploit the bounce and put pressure on batsmen and can add this to his armoury,” Dhoni said.

“We have been trying to convince our bowlers to bowl a few bouncers.”