"England is one of my favourite places to play cricket"- Shardul Thakur ahead of one-off Test
Shardul Thakur has named England as one of his favorite places to play cricket as the conditions suit his bowling style. The Indian bowling all-rounder made the comments ahead of India's one-off Test against England in Edgbaston, Birmingham, slated to start on July 1.
Ever since Shardul Thakur came into the Indian Test team as a genuine all-rounder, he has given them great balance, especially in overseas conditions like England.
The 30-year-old bowled some crucial spells and also played some fine cameos to help India take a 2-1 lead in the five-Test series. In just two Tests in England, Thakur scored 117 runs at a decent average of 39 and has also picked up seven wickets.
From fond memories of playing in England to the funniest nicknames given to him by his teammates. 👍👍
@imShard shares it all as #TeamIndia gear up for the rescheduled #ENGvIND Test at Edgbaston. 👌 👌 - By @RajalArora
Full interview 🎥⬇️
bit.ly/3bDBNhE https://t.co/YjbjbF7mPp
Speaking in a video posted by BCCI, here's what the all-rounder had to say about playing in English conditions:
"They say England is a bowlers' paradise because the ball swings a lot. You can end up taking a lot of wickets in one spell. I think England is one of my favourite places to play cricket and bowl because you get a lot of lateral movement off the pitch and it's upto you how you want to use it."
In last series played in England
Stokes ( vs New Zealand)
Matches: 3
Runs: 194
Wickets: 3
Shardul (vs England)
Matches:2 🔥
Runs: 117 🔥
Wickets: 7 🔥
Shardul Thakur the proper all-rounder 😂 https://t.co/UqXMNZwi4I
Shardul Thakur on his crucial fifty at the Oval
The Oval Test victory is remembered for Rohit Sharma's maiden overseas Test hundred as well as Jasprit Bumrah's 100th Test wicket. However, Shardul Thakur scored a sensational fifty in the first innings to take his team to 191 and ensure the bowlers had something to bowl to.
Thakur also scored a fifty in the second innings and proved why he was a fantastic addition to the side. On that knock in the first innings, the 30-year-old stated:
"That was a very crucial innings (fifty at The Oval) for the team as England could have taken a huge lead and we cut that down. Because of that, we could do well in the third and fourth innings. When you play such a knock, the entire team gets charged up to make a comeback in the game and it will also reflect in the bowling and fielding."
In the absence of Ravindra Jadeja on the tour to South Africa, Shardul Thakur couldn't have much of an impact with the bat. He will be hopeful of putting up a better performance this time around at Edgbaston.