Naman Garg
Some good news for India just ahead of a busy Test season, and Mumbai before the upcoming Irani Cup tie in Lucknow. Pace-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur is back on the field. Currently playing his first competitive match after four months after undergoing an ankle surgery in London on June 12.Turning out for Mumbai against KSCA Secretary’s XI in a Dr (Capt) K Thimmappiah Memorial Tournament at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on the weekend. Thakur was out for a two-ball duck on Saturday and then conceded 29 in eight overs without taking a wicket on Sunday, as KSCA Secretary’s XI replied strongly with 244 for one.
Thakur, who missed the Duleep Trophy as he was in rehab after surgery, last played a match for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL on May 18. His return will be beneficial for Mumbai, who will take on Rest of India in the Irani Cup tie from October 1-5. In days cricket he is an asset in both batting and bowling as we have seen that in test cricket whenever he played for India. Although he doesn’t have much pace to offer but he is too sharp with his line and length that he somehow or the other extracts something out of the pitch when nothing is happening with his mediocre pace. This is the reason why Indian fans give him the nick name of lord Thakur because he won two crucial test matches for India single handedly both with bat and bowl when no one is expecting him to deliver at crucial stage. This historic performances of Shardul Thakur came in the tour of Australia and England which makes his contribution more valuable to the team. He came in team as bowler but he proves himself as genuine bowling all-rounder which makes him very handy for Indian cricket team whenever India played test cricket outside Asia. His batting is also very underrated but he made half century in Gabba where India won, both innings half century against England in oval and at the same ground he again made half century against Australia in WTC final. Now Indian team management will be hoping that he performs in Irani cup after recovering from injury so that it would be easier for Indian selectors to select him on tour of Australia for Border Gavaskar trophy.
