Former India player Madan Lal applauded captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri for including Shardul Thakur in the playing XI for the first Test in Nottingham. According to Lal, India made a brilliant decision by adding Shardul Thakur, who is an outswing bowler and helpful to get wickets in English conditions.
Notably, Thakur claimed 2 for 41 in 13 overs as India bowled England out for 183 in 65.4 overs. He got the massive wicket of opposition captain Joe Root (64) as well. While speaking to Aaj Tak, Lal said that Indian bowlers did quite well.
He added: “They took some time to adjust to the conditions in the opening session, as it was the first day of the series. In the second and third sessions, though, they were on top of their game. The kind of batting England have at the moment, it will be difficult for them to stand up against India. Our bowlers have the ability to bowl England out cheaply, as they showed today (Wednesday).”
READ HERE: Suryakumar Yadav refers to Prithvi Shaw as a showstopper
While talking about Shardul Thakur, Lal said: “I would laud Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri for their decision to play Shardul Thakur in the Test. He is a genuine outswing bowler, who constantly moves the ball away from the batsman and troubles them. In English conditions, he is bound to get wickets. According to me, this is a masterstroke. We all saw how Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur bowled in Australia. They were really impressive there as well.”
Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur was happy to get England captain Joe Root’s wicket as well. While speaking to the broadcasters at the end of the day’s play, he stated that Root’s wicket is always a big one for him.
READ HERE: Washington Sundar all set to miss second phase of IPL 2021
“To get him (Root) out in the 60s or 90s or early, is always a good wicket to have. If we look at the pitch, it didn’t feel like it will turn a lot as the game goes on, so we thought it was better to go in with four seamers. I’m enjoying the Dukes ball and English conditions. It’s swinging nicely for us, I hope it continues. At one point, we didn’t think we’d get them all out, but the weather was playing funny. The sun was out for a while, and it was cloudy for a while; I was really happy we got ten wickets. Bairstow was going well; he was poised to score a fifty, so getting him out in that period was crucial. As soon as we got him, (the other) wickets started tumbling,” Shardul Thakur concluded.
