Indian batsmen Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar hit amazing half-centuries on day 3 of the fourth Test at the Gabba against Australia. Their 123-run 7th wicket partnership helped India make 336 runs in their first innings, reducing the home side’s lead to just 33 runs.
Thakur (67) and Sundar (62) took the attack to Australian bowlers and flayed them all over Brisbane ground, while taking blows to the body as well and fending short balls from Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins.
They also dealt with Nathan Lyon well, with Sundar hitting a brilliant no-look six to the spinner, who is playing his 100th Test match.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who recently became father to a baby girl, tweeted in Marathi to laud Shardul Thakur. He posted, “Outstanding application and belief by Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur. This is what test cricket is all about. Washy top composure on debut and tula parat maanla re Thakur!”
Explaining the meaning of 'tula parat manla', former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar narrated an interesting story behind Kohli's choice of words.
The former India batsman, who captain Mumbai in domestic cricket during his playing days, revealed that tula parat manla means 'hats off to you again' and said the reason why Kohli took his hat off to Shardul Thakur again was because of his innings against West Indies.
Shardul had hit a match-winning cameo of 17* against West Indies in the third ODI in Cuttack in 2019 that Kohli walked up to him seeking advice on a Marathi term to describe Shardul's innings. That's when Manjrekar had suggested using 'tula manla'.
"We say tula manla in Mumbai a lot to state 'hats off to you' and that's what he (Virat Kohli) tweeted after that innings (against West Indies) and now he has said tula parat manla which means hats off to you again," Manjrekar explained.
Shardul and Sundar’s 123-run partnership at the Gabba, Brisbane broke the record of Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar, who had added 58 runs for the seventh wicket in 1991.
(Hindustan Times inputs)
