Shardul Thakur, India
Shardul Thakur [Image-BCCI]

Indian seam-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur has revealed that veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar had conveyed to skipper Virat Kohli and his fellow bowlers that change of pace will work wonders on the Ahmedabad pitch as early as after bowling the first over.

Indian bowlers showcased an exemplary display of death bowling on Sunday as the likes of Shardul Thakur and Bhuvneshwar Kumar stifled the England batsmen with cross-seam deliveries and off-cutters

Bhuvneshwar Conveyed To Us After The First Over That Slower One Will Work Well: Shardul Thakur
Bhuvneshwar Kumar [Image-BCCI]
As a result, England could manage just 35 runs during their last 5 overs, losing two wickets in the form of Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes to Shardul Thakur.

“Bhuvneshwar bowled the first over. He immediately conveyed to all the bowlers and the captain that the ball is gripping nicely on the pitch, so the slower one will work well,” said Shardul Thakur in the post-match press conference.

“We changed our plans immediately and we thought bowling maximum slower ones on this pitch will give a lot of trouble for the batsmen to play their shots. And that is what happened, they faced difficulties in playing shots and we got wickets also along with that,” added Shardul Thakur.

Shardul Thakur, India
Shardul Thakur [Image-BCCI]
Shardul Thakur further explained that even the bowlers do not whether the cross-seam delivery will skid off the surface or will it bounce as everything depends on how it lands on the pitch.

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“We play a lot on dry pitches in India. When we bowl cross-seam, it sometimes hits on the seam and on the hemisphere at other times. Even the bowlers don’t know if that ball will bounce or skid. So, I think it is a very good variation to use especially on dry pitches,” said Thakur.

When asked about his mastery in bowling cross-seam deliveries, Shardul added that having played a lot of domestic cricket and the IPL on dry surfaces, he has understood the importance of using them along with the regular seam-up deliveries.

“The experience I have got from the games I have played in the IPL or for the country, especially in Indian conditions, I have come to the conclusion that if we keep using cross-seam deliveries along with seam-up deliveries, they will be quite effective,” signed off Shardul Thakur.

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