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The India National Cricket Team will be against the England National Cricket Team for a white-ball series, which is set to begin on Wednesday, 1st July in Durham, in the form of a 5-match T20I series, and then followed by a three-match ODI series. Ahead of the first T20I match, the Men in Blue all-rounder Shardul Thakur shared his views on his last tour to England.
Shardul Thakur was in the squad the last time India visited England for the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, which was a 5-match Test series. He was criticised for his performance in England. However, he is ready to give his best for the country if he gets selected yet again.
"I don't think I was utilised properly"- Shardul Thakur on being underutilised
However, now the Mumbai-based pacer has taken a dig at head coach Gautam Gambhir, opening up about being underutilised in the series and lamenting his bowling time. Thakur only featured in two Tests in the five-match series, bowled just 27 overs, and took two wickets.
He said, while speaking with Rev Sportz, "When I played in England, I don't think I was utilised properly. In batting, yes, it was my mistake that I played a loose shot in Leeds. But in Manchester, I batted beautifully, I would say, because it was overcast, the ball was swinging, and there was one length from where the ball was hardly bouncing."
"I survived that spell and India still put up a very, very strong total in the first innings. Then the pitch became flat and we were also able to save the game.
"It's very hard to comment"- Shardul Thakur on performance in England
Shardul Thakur played in the third Test in Leeds and the fourth Test at Old Trafford. He provided a decent show in England. While batting, he scored 1, 4, 41 and DNB in the two Tests. Shardul picked up two wickets in the third Test and went wicketless in the fourth as India lost in Leeds and had a draw in Manchester.
Taking a look back at the series, he felt he could have contributed more. "It's very hard to comment on why I may have missed out on a few selections. But after the 2024-25 season, the kind of season I had, I think I could have played a few more games and literally made a difference.
"I deserved a few more opportunities"- Shardul Thakur on playing for India again
Shardul Thakur feels he should get more opportunities to play for the Men in Blue side. He also feels that he is always ready to play for the national team as it is a dream to play for the country and is ready to contribute with both bat and ball across formats for the side.
"So it's not that I didn't make any contribution when I last played for India. But yes, I think I deserved a few more opportunities. I would say it was more about being under-bowled and being used in the wrong phases. There were some calculation errors, I would say," he said, adding, "Hope is still alive. If, in the near future, they ever ask me to play for India again, I'll be ready."
"Playing for India is a dream - everyone's dream. Even during my previous stints with the Indian team, there were a handful of games where I made an impact and literally won matches for the team. So, even in the near future, or whenever I make a comeback, I'm still willing to contribute as much as I can (both in red ball and white ball cricket)."
