Former India cricketer turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has applauded Shardul Thakur for providing Team India with crucial breakthroughs during the first ODI against the West Indies as well. India won the first match by a mere three runs. At a point in the match, the partnership between Kyle Mayers and Shamarh Brooks seemed to take the game away from the visitors. But Thakur removed Brooks in the 24th over to break the partnership. And, then he dismissed Mayers in his next over to bring the match back in favour of India as well.

On his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “Lord Thakur has some powers that he picks up wickets. There was a partnership between Shamarh Brooks and Kyle Mayers. But then you got wickets, not one but two, and who takes those wickets, who dismisses Brooks and Mayers – Lord Thakur. Did those wickets fall on deliveries that deserved a wicket, may not be the case.”

READ HERE: Gary Kirsten all set to work with Hardik Pandya

The former cricketer also opened up about Thakur’s wicket-taking deliveries and said that Shardul Thakur hurt the opposition’s heart.

READ HERE: India will struggle if Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma don’t score, says Mohammad Hafeez

“One was slightly a wide delivery and the other one was slightly short. Shikhar Dhawan didn’t give him the full quota of overs in this match, he was stopped because he was proving very expensive and it didn’t seem that he will pick up wickets, but it is not about what it seems, Shardul hurts the opposition’s heart,” further added Aakash Chopra. “When the opposition team came to bat, then Siraj at the start. Siraj Miya is doing very well, he is brilliant. The bad times Shai Hope is going through, he continued that further, he got out early. Yuzi Chahal, of course, a couple of wickets.”