Shardul Thakur has slowly established himself as a credible all-rounder despite entering the Indian cricket team as a fast bowler in Tests after playing a few crucial knocks for the side.
After his impressive all-round shows in Australia and England this year, Thakur was included in India’s playing XI as the all-rounder for the ongoing first Test against South Africa in Centurion. Notably, the pacer has 14 wickets and 190 runs to his name from 4 Tests.
On Monday, December 27, the BCCI shared a short clip on their official Twitter, where veteran off-spinner R Ashwin and Thakur were talking about their approach in the game, dance moves, comebacks, and more.
Thakur said when Ashwin asked him about his approaches in the game, “Like everyone, I do like to plan my game as well in terms of bowling and batting. I like to see the videos of the batsmen. But when I enter the ground, everything is about confidence and self-belief for me.”
He continued, “For example, in white-ball cricket, you think of bowling) a yorker. To bowl that, I go in with full confidence and I play to win. So that’s one thing that stands out for me as a player. I like the players who love to win the game for their teams.”
Meanwhile, in the video, Ashwin was talking about Shardul’s ability to play the hook shot with much confidence and said he was expecting the all-rounder to continue doing that in South Africa.
The spinner said, “Tours in South Africa are always competitive. We played well last time but lost 1-2. We were lacking the person who could hook and pull. You (Shardul) did it in England, Australia. It’s time you do that in South Africa.”
To which, Shardul replied, “I am looking forward to it. Two overseas tours have been successful for us as a team. To contribute in SA conditions, would be more than happy.”
He also opened up about his engagement, saying that was on his mind for a long time but he didn’t get a window due to the busy schedule.
Thakur concluded, “I was planning it for a long time. But with a busy schedule with cricket, we’ve been traveling for the last 15 months. I didn’t have a window to get engaged. Luckily I got a break offered by BCCI and thought this is the right time to move in my life. With cricket, personal life is important too.”
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