"He is asking you to pick him for the World T20" - Aakash Chopra on Shardul Thakur's consistent performances
Aakash Chopra believes Shardul Thakur is putting himself in contention for a spot in the Indian T20 World Cup squad as an all-rounder following his consistent performances.
Thakur bailed India out of trouble with his belligerent knock on the first day of the fourth Test against England. He smashed 57 runs off just 36 deliveries to register the fastest Test half-century on English soil.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra pointed out that Shardul Thakur is presenting his case as an alternative to Hardik Pandya. He said:
"He is not just scoring runs. He is asking you to pick him for the World T20 because he is bringing you that option. You obviously miss Hardik Pandya but if he is not there, Shardul Thakur is presenting himself as an option."
The former India opener added that while Pandya might be more proficient with the bat, Shardul Thakur has the advantage in the bowling department. Chopra observed:
"Hardik might be a better batsman than him, no doubt, but he is a better bowler than Hardik. So he is saying that if you are searching for a package, he could be the guy."
Apart from recent fitness concerns, Hardik Pandya did not cover himself in glory with his performances on the recent limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka. Even if Hardik is fit and available, Thakur's presence in the playing XI would add depth to the Indian batting unit.
"Shardul Thakur did a fantastic job" - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra highlighted that Shardul Thakur's knock at The Oval was not a one-off performance. He elaborated:
"When Rishabh Pant got out, I thought we are gone. But after that Shardul comes and shines. He did a fantastic job. Lord Shardul, again and again - Brisbane, he scored the runs. He was actually net bowler in that series but played the match, scored the runs and took wickets as well."
The reputed commentator pointed out that Shardul Thakur has always risen to the occasion when given an opportunity. Chopra stated:
"Then in Nottingham, he got Root out in the first innings and Buttler in the second innings. He gives you the important wickets. Here you were 127/7 and he gave you a half-century in which he smashes the England bowlers quite a bit. You reach 191, it is just down to Shardul Thakur once again."
Shardul Thakur gave a decent account of himself in the first Test at Trent Bridge but was subsequently sidelined due to injury. His blazing knock at The Oval, which was studded with seven fours and three sixes, brought the visitors back into the match after they seemed down and out.