"Scream, run, hide... Lord Shardul wants to take a bite" - Twitterati hails all-rounder's triple strike in 2nd India vs South Africa Test
He has done it again. Shardul Thakur sent back three South African batters within four overs to turn around the second Test in India's favor in Johannesburg.
Dean Elgar and Keegan Petersen defied everything Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami threw at them in the second session. They were defensively solid, but were a bit lucky on a few occasions. Stand-in captain KL Rahul, who was being criticized for not bringing in Thakur, finally obliged in the 37th over.
Thakur took just 10 deliveries to get Elgar out for 28 with a ball that shaped away from the left-hander. Two overs later, Thakur got rid of Petersen, who was looking poised for a big score at 62. The right-handed batter went chasing after a wide delivery that bounced and moved away from him more than he expected.
If breaking a 35-over partnership and getting a half-centurion out weren't enough, the man with the golden arm then dismissed Rassie van der Dussen for 1 in the final over before Lunch. The pacer got the batter to nick it off the inside edge and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant grabbed a sharp catch diving forward.
As expected, Twitter erupted in appreciation for its favorite cricketer, hailing 'Lord' Shardul Thakur for his spell and keeping on with his game-changing habits. Here are the best of the reactions:
#SAvINDLord Shardul and team India believe in fair play. That's why Lord never bowls to new batsmen, he's only brought on once there is a partnership and the batsmen are set. Lord still gets them out though 😄 #SAvIND
Scream, run, hide.. Lord Shardul wants to take a bite. It's inevitable. He makes his rules!
Lord Shardul waits for people to doubt him so he could prove them wrong.
Shardul Thakur just keeps do his thing.
Partnership breaker of Team India - Shardul Thakur.
Two kinds of cricket fans.
1. Who have figured out the “why” and “how” of Shardul Thakur
2. Us, lesser mortals
On today's episode of decoding Lord Shardul Thakur. https://t.co/ctv1LKzd1y
Man with the Golden Arm #ShardulThakur
We believe in Lord Shardul Thakur supremacy 🙏
#INDvsSA https://t.co/hp9BeTBKNx
No better love story than that of Shardul Thakur and picking up important wickets. Sensational.
#INDvsSA
#Shardulthakur
Unreal, how he was written off before his spell even got started lol.
Every time India needs a wicket desperately, Shardul Thakur comes & bless us all!
All bow down to the Lord Shardul Thakur Supremacy!
#SAvIND https://t.co/iBZkiLZAXZ
Save earth, this is the only place having Lord Shardul Thakur. https://t.co/3Rr7sBhMfb
#INDvsSA #SAvIND
"I played in a different era so that I wouldn't have to face Lord Shardul Thakur" - Ricky Ponting https://t.co/kdyWamgqwI
LORD 🙏🏼
#SAvIND #CricketTwitter
THAKUR 🔥🔥🔥
Stand and admire Lord Shardul Thakur.
That's it.
#SAvIND #INDvsSA https://t.co/kpgXhqpwGk
When Lord Shardul Thakur was born, the doctor was the one that cried and Lord patted him on the back.
What a spell! @imShard India back in it! #INDvsSA
Calling it, Shardul Thakur is the best player to ever play international cricket
Shardul Thakur is inevitable!
#SAvIND
Brilliant this from Thakur. The movement away and the hint of extra bounce has accounted for Petersen here. Huge breakthrough once again.
We are living in Lord Thakur era, the best of all time.
#SAvIND
@CricNeelabh Us to Shardul - Yeh #FirstKaThirst humein de do Thakur 😉
#SAvIND #BelieveInBlue
Shardul Thakur's spell puts India in front
South Africa were looking set to take a big first-innings lead, but Thakur's resistance reduced them to 102/4, almost crushing that prospect.
The hosts are playing a thinner batting lineup than they did in the first Test, with only two recognized batters in Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne remaining in the hut.
While Marco Jansen has all-rounder skills and Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj can bat as well, it will be anything but easy on this bouncy wicket.
The Indians have their tails up and will look to get a few more wickets in the post-Lunch session.