I Was Wishing From The Bottom Of My Heart That Siraj Gets His 5-Wicket Haul: Shardul Thakur

Indian seam-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur had a memorable comeback to Test cricket in the recently-concluded series-decider against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane.

Thakur had made his Test debut for India against the West Indies in 2018. However, what should have been a memorable occasion for the Mumbai cricketer turned out to be a nightmare as he pulled his hamstring, ten balls into his spell.

Shardul eventually staged his redemption 2 years later at the Gabba in Brisbane. Coming in as a replacement for the injured Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur made a stellar contribution with both bat and ball. The swing bowler claimed three wickets in the first innings and then backed it up with a classy 67 during a match-defining 123-run-stand with debutant Washington Sundar.

Thakur was at it again in the second innings, claiming four crickets. The Mumbai cricketer, at one stage, was locked competing with Mohammed Siraj, who had also chipped in with as many wickets, for an elusive five-wicket haul. Only one Australian wicket was available and eventually, it went to Siraj after Josh Hazlewood, in an attempt to hit the fast bowler over the slip-cordon, ended up giving an easy catch to Shardul at third-man.

Even though he missed out 0n a maiden five-for, Shardul Thakur had a smile on his face as soon as he completed the catch. In a recent interview, Thakur has said that he genuinely wanted Mohammed Siraj to take a five-wicket-haul as a tribute for his late father.

The seam-bowling all-rounder revealed that Mohammed Siraj’s words about his father were echoing in his mind and he was praying that he doesn’t drop the catch if it comes his way.

“People were watching us that we’re both on 4 wickets apiece [Siraj and Thakur]. We were both chasing a [maiden] 5-wicket haul. When I was bowling, all I could think of is if I take 5 wickets then it will be for the team. To be honest, I was wishing from the bottom of my heart that Siraj gets his 5-wicket haul because it was a very emotional time for him,” Shardul Thakur told Sports Today.

“When the catch came to me, I was praying to God that this catch should not be dropped at any cost. It had rained as well before so the outfield was wet too, so I was praying that I must take the catch because that would complete his 5-wicket haul as he was so fulfilling his father’s dream of him playing for India,” he said.

“I had Siraj’s words about his father in mind, who was watching us from up above, and he would be very happy after the 5-wicket haul. When he completed his five-for, I was genuinely very excited for Siraj. It was his maiden 5-wicket haul in Tests and it was a dramatic end to the innings, I was extremely stoked for him.” he added.

Mohammed Siraj, who decided to stay back despite his father’s demise, eventually ended up as India’s leading wicket-taker in the series. The fast bowler claimed 13 wickets across three matches and he later went on to dedicate his five-wicket-haul to his late father.

Also Read: Marcus Harris Wicket In The Second Innings Proved To Be A Turning Point In The Gabba Test: Shardul Thakur