"Where is Shardul Thakur gone?"- Harbhajan Singh questions exclusion of bowling all-rounder for BGT 2024-25
Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh questioned the management's decision to exclude bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur for the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting Friday, November 22. Thakur played a massive role in India's series-clinching victory during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Brisbane.
Coming into the playing XI thanks to several injuries, he scored a crucial 67 and picked up seven wickets to help India seal a famous three-wicket win. Yet, Thakur's Test form dwindled drastically in 2023 with the pacer picking up only four wickets in three matches at a dismal average of 55.
It led to his exclusion from the Test side, with the think tank going for first-timer Nitish Kumar Reddy as the lone pace-bowling all-rounder for the upcoming Australia series.
However, in a conversation with Jatin Sapru on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan questioned Thakur and even Hardik Pandya's absence from the Australia Tests.
"You needed an all-rounder like Hardik Pandya. But you don't have an option but to play Nitish Kumar Reddy. Where is Shardul Thakur gone? Where is Hardik Pandya gone? We just confined them to shorter formats. You needed a player like Hardik. We started investing in Shardul for the last two to three years, but where is he now?" he asked.
Hardik has not played Tests for India since the 2018 England tour, with his focus since being only on white-ball cricket to avoid recurring injuries.
Meanwhile, Thakur's last appearance for India in any format came in the opening Test of the South Africa series at the end of last year.
"What he can do is just bowl a few overs here and there like Sourav Ganguly did" - Harbhajan Singh on Nitish Reddy
Harbhajan Singh felt Nitish Reddy could perform a role similar to former captain Sourav Ganguly - batter chipping in with a few overs of medium-pace bowling.
The 21-year-old earned a surprise call-up for the Australia series despite no prior Test experience. Reddy debuted for India in the Bangladesh T20Is at home last month and played all three games.
"Suddenly on a tour like this, you are asking Nitish to bowl. What he can do is just bowl a few overs here and there like Sourav Ganguly did, and if he gets one or two wickets, then that would be a bonus," Harbhajan said in the same interaction.
Reddy boasts impressive numbers with the ball in first-class cricket, picking up 56 wickets in 23 matches at an average of 26.98.
The youngster also picked up three wickets in the Bangladesh T20Is at an average of 23.66 and an economy of under eight.