Manchester: Shardul Thakur opened up about his limited role with the ball on Day 2 of the fourth Test between India and England, revealing that captain Shubman Gill decides bowling changes and rotation during the game. Thakur, who bowled just five overs while England racked up 225/2 in 46 overs, admitted it’s challenging to maintain rhythm when not used consistently.
After being benched for the second and third Tests, Thakur returned to the XI for the fourth Test but was barely seen with the ball. In contrast, Jasprit Bumrah bowled 13 overs, Mohammed Siraj 10, and debutant Anshul Kamboj also bowled 10 overs.
When asked if he felt underutilised or if he had spoken to Gill about it, Thakur replied:
“If you talk about the first match, he (Gill) said there wasn’t much scope to bowl me. Usually, the captain takes the call, the player doesn’t have much say in it. As far as this match goes, there was a possibility for a couple of overs, but there are still three days left. I will hopefully get more overs.”
Thakur acknowledged that irregular bowling affects his rhythm.
“Rhythm is always difficult, especially when you don’t know how much or when you’ll bowl. But I will try to use my experience and make the most of whatever opportunities I get.”
Earlier in the day, India were bowled out for 358 after a gritty performance from Rishabh Pant. However, the bowlers failed to replicate the same impact that England had in the morning session. England’s openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley stitched a commanding 166-run stand to leave India struggling.
Thakur admitted that the Indian bowlers expected similar movement with the new ball that troubled their own batters earlier in the day, but it didn’t work out.
“We were trying to find swing, just like in the morning session. But it didn’t happen, and we ended up bowling on the pads,” he explained.
Thakur stressed that while the conditions weren’t particularly difficult, India could have shown more discipline and patience in their lines and lengths.
“With the new ball we could’ve done better. Later, we were trying to hold it back, but the runs kept flowing. We lacked patience in bowling consistent channels,” he added.
As England continue to build their innings with just two wickets down, India’s bowlers—and their captain’s tactical decisions—will be under scrutiny heading into Day 3.
