Shardul Thakur had a terrific Test match at The Oval. The all-rounder scored fifties in each innings (57 and 60) and bagged three wickets (1/54 and 2/22), giving Team India important breakthroughs.
His performance helped India beat England by 157 runs in the fourth Test to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match Test series.
Former India off-spinner and selector Sarandeep Singh has advised the management to consider Shardul Thakur as an all-rounder and start preparing him for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
“I’ve always been his (Shardul) biggest fan. I’ve seen him come through the grind of bowling 25-30 overs per innings in first-class for Mumbai. Ladaku cricketer hai (he is a fighter), with a positive attitude. Even in India, Shardul should be your second pacer after (Jasprit) Bumrah, as you need an all-rounder,” Sarandeep Singh told Times of India.
He pointed out Thakur’s performances in the fourth Test and said that he should be a regular in ODI and Test XIs. This is because there is no clarity regarding Hardik Pandya’s bowling fitness after major back surgery.
“Start grooming him for the 2023 ODI World Cup. From now on, consider him as an all-rounder. You need a batsman like him at No 7, and he’s a good fielder too. He must consistently feature in the XI in Tests and ODIs, if not the T20Is. I know Hardik is a very good batsman, but his bowling is a concern," Sarandeep said.
“You don’t know how long (Mohammed) Shami and Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) will last, so Shardul and (Mohammed) Siraj must now regularly play alongside (Jasprit) Bumrah, as age is with them, and they can be groomed for the future," he added.
The former cricketer went on to claim that had Thakur played in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand, India would have ended their long wait for an ICC trophy.
“If he had played in the World Test Championship final, we would have won an ICC trophy for the first time since 2013.
His presence in the line-up would’ve given this team a well-deserved ICC title, which is still missing from its cabinet. Those conditions were ideal for his type of bowling, and he would have added depth to our batting," he concluded.
(Times of India inputs)
