"He'll either go for a four or he will get a wicket" - Sanjay Manjrekar not 'surprised' with Shardul Thakur's performance on Day 2
Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar said that he wasn't taken by surprise on witnessing Shardul Thakur's remarkable bowling on Day 2 of the second Test against South Africa. He went on to say that Thakur is the kind of bowler who takes his chances and will either go for runs or will end up taking wickets for his side.
Thakur marked his best figures with the red-ball, taking as many as seven wickets for just 61 runs during South Africa's first innings. He delivered whenever KL Rahul called upon him and got India back into the game with his breakthroughs.
Sanjay Manjrekar, while reviewing Day 2 with ESPNcricinfo, was quick to recognize the risk-taking attribute of the right-arm pacer. The ex-Indian cricketer commended Thakur for putting the ball in wicket-taking areas. Manjrekar said:
"Every time Shardul has bowled for India, he has got wickets. He puts the ball where he is likely to get wickets. It doesn't surprise me every time Shardul Thakur picks up wickets. He's one of those bowlers who will take a chance. He'll either go for four or he will get a wicket. That's why CSK play him. Dhoni has never dropped Shardul Thakur."
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According to Manjrekar, Thakur has a street-smart cricketing mind and will now challenge Mohammed Siraj for the third-best seamer in the Indian Test team. Manjrekar said:
"Shardul is one of those underrated bowlers who you'd think is at best fourth seamer in the side, someone you can knock off runs against after playing of Bumrah or Shami. But he's got a street-smart cricketing brain. I'm really happy that India have backed him in two tests. He will now start challenging Mohammed Siraj."
''Not a surface you'd ideally want for any Test match" - Daryll Cullinan lambasts the Johannesburg pitch on Day 2
Former South African great Daryll Cullinan has criticized the Wanderers Stadium's pitch and believes it isn't 'ideal' for Test cricket. Due to the uneven bounce, the surface in Johannesburg has received a lot of attention from former cricketers and pundits.
Cullinan, who was part of the conversation with Manjrekar on ESPNcricinfo, also slammed the pitch. While stating that he can't imagine what the track would look like by Day 5, the former batter said:
"If we have a dry night and a warm sun in the morning, I think the saving grace may be that we won't go to the fifth day. Because I cannot imagine what the surface will look like on Day 5. It's not the type of surface you'd ideally want for any Test match anyway."
STUMPS on Day 2 of the 2nd Test.
#TeamIndia 202 & 85/2, lead South Africa (229) by 58 runs.
Scorecard - bcci.tv/events/48/indiā¦ #SAvIND https://t.co/OwcK1xZ7YW
The encounter is perfectly poised at the moment with the visitors leading by 58 runs with eight wickets still remaining in the bank. The experienced duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are still unbeaten at the crease, with India at 85-2 at stumps.