AUS vs IND, Shardul Thakur Keeps Calm, Leads India's Resistance With Bat And Ball

Cricket Image for AUS vs IND, Shardul Thakur Keeps Calm, Leads India's Resistance With Bat And Ball (Shardul Thakur (Image Source: Google))

In 62 matches across eight seasons of first-class cricket, pace bowler Shardul Thakur had scored just six half-centuries.

His seventh, at the Gabba for India against Australia in just his second Test, has become most famous and important.

The right-arm pace bowler, who picked three wickets in the first innings, hammered 67 off 115 deliveries in a knock that helped India reduce the first innings deficit to just 33.

"Having played so much first-class cricket and also for India A definitely helped. The confidence level is high and there is also the desire to move up when you take a leap to Test cricket from a first-class level," said Dinesh Lad, who mentored Thakur at his school in Mumbai.

Thakur is from Palghar which is three hours away from Mumbai and, due to the distance, the pace bowler initially stayed with Lad at his house. He went to the same school as Rohit Sharma and Lad's son.

"This is his natural batting style. He scored 78 and picked five wickets when I saw him for the first time in a school game. That knock of 78 was similarly aggressive. The only difference is that he showed some patience today. His usual batting style is very aggressive," Lad told IANS.

Thakur, 29, himself said that he has a talent for batting and had been working at nets.

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