Former India cricketer and national selector Jatin Paranjpe believes that Shardul Thakur completely fits in Team India’s current environment under Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri. He reckons that the fast bowling allrounder never give up attitude makes him the perfect fit in India’s dressing room.
After playing the T20I series, Shardul Thakur has been included in the Test squad for the third Test as the replacement of Mohammed Shami.
Shardul Thakur does not give up until the end: Jatin Paranjpe
Paranjpe recounted how Thakur travelled almost six hours every day to play cricket and that such challenging experiences have made him the cricketer he is today.
“In Mumbai, he has played his entire cricket after travelling all the way from Palghar. These guys have undergone a tough rigour, travelling for six hours on a daily basis. This ‘slog’ makes these guys mentally very tough. This is where they get their tenacity. After going through that kind of a grind just to get to play cricket, they just don’t want to give up,” said Paranjpe.
With India losing two prominent pacers to injury for the rest of the series, they will be forced to make a change. Some experts believe Thakur should replace Yadav, and Paranjpe feels he will add good value to the Indian team.
“When you play international cricket, and particularly when you play Australia – tenacity and fighting spirit, the two qualities he possesses in abundance – trump over talent. He will keep coming at you with the ball and with the bat. He fits into the culture of this team, built by captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri. Like this team, he doesn’t give up till the end.” added Paranjpe.
Shardul Thakur had a forgettable debut against West Indies in 2018 in Hyderabad. He only bowled ten balls before suffering a groin injury. The seamer didn’t play the rest of the Test, which remains his only Test match appearance for India.