'This Is A Masterstroke' - Madan Lal Applauds Indian Management For Picking Shardul Thakur

Former India all-rounder Madan Lal lauded captain Virat Kohli, coach Ravi Shastri, and the rest of the Indian management for their “masterstroke” in making the bold call of picking Shardul Thakur as the seam-bowling all-rounder over Ravichandran Ashwin in the ongoing Test against England at Trent Bridge.

Shardul Thakur vindicated that decision when he dismissed Joe Root, England’s highest run-scorer on Wednesday, and all-rounder Ollie Robinson in a single over. Those two wickets were part of England’s collapse – they lost 7 wickets for 45 runs – in their eventual total of 183.

Madan Lal pointed out that since Thakur is a genuine outswing bowler, moving the ball away from the right-hander – a job he did brilliantly on Day 1 – while pitching it up, he should succeed in English conditions – and he did.

“I would laud Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri for their decision to play Shardul Thakur in the Test. He is a genuine outswing bowler, who constantly moves the ball away from the batsman and troubles them.

“In English conditions, he is bound to get wickets. According to me, this is a masterstroke. We all saw how Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur bowled in Australia. They were really impressive there as well,” the 1983 World Cup winner told Aaj Tak.

Joe Root is always a good wicket to have: Shardul Thakur

Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah combined to pick seven wickets. But Joe Root could have taken his side to a competitive total on a difficult batting track. However, Thakur, whose selection over Ashwin had already stirred up heated debates, was to justify his place in the side.

The wicket ball to Root was shrewdly planned: after bowling a plethora of deliveries outside the stumps to the English batters, he bowled another outswinger to Root, but this time in the line of the middle stump. The English captain played for the away movement, but the ball seamed in off the surface and his Root on his pad in front of the leg-stump. Three balls later he would get rid of Robinson with a surprise short ball.

“To get him (Root) out in the 60s or 90s or early, is always a good wicket to have,” he said. 

Shardul Thakur would later also explain the management’s decision to pick him over Ashwin.

“If we look at the pitch, it didn’t feel like it will turn a lot as the game goes on, so we thought it was better to go in with four seamers. I’m enjoying the Dukes ball and English conditions. It’s swinging nicely for us, I hope it continues,” the Mumbai cricketer elucidated.

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