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Shardul Thakur on action. (FILE photo)
In the first Test at Headingly in Leeds, Shardul Thakur was not given the ball until the 40th over, while other bowlers were having a tough time, apart from Jasprit Bumrah. By the time the all-rounder was brought in, there were set batters at the crease, and the ball also lost its shine and was not letting swing.
“You have taken Shardul Thakur in the team and didn’t give him a ball in the first 40 overs. And Joe Root was batting. And Shardul has a very decent match-up against Joe Root. So, if Shardul Thakur’s role is not less, then I genuinely rate Shardul as a cricketer,” Ashwin analyzed on his YouTube channel.
Thakur does have the knack of picking wickets. “He has caught Ben Duckett and Harry Brook. He can make things happen. But he has to use them at the right time. But if this is going to be the way he is going to be used, I don’t think he is really making any sense. Because he has to be given the ball for him to make a difference. He didn’t bowl that much in the first 40 overs,” Ashwin observed.
“He didn’t bowl that much in the second innings either. Obviously, much more than the first innings. So, his role was very limited and I think it is very unfair to raise an argument on what he did,” Ashwin added.
Ajinkya Rahane advised the Indian team management to use Shardul Thakur with the new ball because of his ability to swing the ball. In the first Test, though, Shardul did bowl quite a chunk of overs in both innings, he took the ball when it did lose its shine a bit.
“I feel an all-rounder’s role is very important. Shardul Thakur has been an experienced player and has done well in Test cricket overseas. I want to see more overs from Shardul. If the Indian team can use Shardul Thakur in a better way, that will be great. Whatever I have seen with him, he can swing the ball both ways and is a wicket-taker. If Shardul can bowl the first change or even given the new ball he can swing it both ways,” Rahane said on his YouTube channel.
English (US) ·