Whether Shardul Thakur is there in the Indian team or not, even his critics will agree that he has the ability to bring out his best with the bat in times of crisis.
The 67 he had scored at the Gabba in Brisbane three years ago during a game-changing 123-run seventh-wicket stand with Washington Sundar was no fluke as a few months later, the seamer all-rounder had produced counter-attacking knocks of 57 and 60 in The Oval Test against England, without which India would have lost that game. In last year’s World Test Championship final against Australia, again at The Oval, Shardul scored 51 and featured in a 109-run seventh-wicket partnership with Ajinkya Rahane.
In the domestic circuit, Mumbai may well have had to wait for next season for a shot at their 42nd Ranji Trophy crown if not for Shardul’s 105 in the semi-final against Tamil Nadu. In the ongoing final against Vidarbha at the Wankhede, Mumbai could have found the situation a lot tougher had Shardul not stepped up with a 69-ball 75.
Currently in Grade C of the BCCI’s annual player contracts, these performances with the bat augur well for Shardul going forward. “The Australia tour (later this year) is still quite far from now. But yes, one still remembers how well he had done last time at the Gabba. Obviously, the effort he has put in, in this Ranji, will bring Shardul back in contention for a Team India spot (in Test cricket). But bowling-wise, he does need to lift his game a little bit,” a BCCI official told The Telegraph on Monday.
Shardul is often erratic with the ball, but in this Ranji, he has given Mumbai some crucial breakthroughs. Is Shardul, the bowler, on the rise too?