Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur hailed experienced Indian batter, Ajinkya Rahane for his brilliant knock under pressure to give the Indian side hope to make a comeback into the Ultimate World Test Championship final against Australia. The Indian veteran batted beautifully in tough Oval conditions, to bat them out of trouble to avoid the follow-on in the 1st innings.
The former Indian vice-captain was the top scorer for the Indian team on his comeback match after nearly 18 months in red-ball cricket, scoring 89 runs off 129 deliveries, including one six and 11 boundaries, as he looked at ease in against every bowler, before being dismissed off Pat Cummins, as Cameron Green took a brilliant flying catch to dismiss him.
Speaking after the end of Day 3, Shardul Thakur opened up about his partnership alongside state-mate Ajinkya Rahane, where the Indian veteran guided him throughout the middle of their 1st innings in batting and lauded him as a world-class player in International Cricket and recalled on his performance in overseas conditions, where he has been one of the standout performers for India in longer-format of the game.
“He is a senior player, he has played a lot and he told me that even if I make a mistake, you come and talk to me and tell me on the spot. Because we are the last recognized pair. So, the more we stay on the pitch, the more the team will benefit and we will be able to run as much as possible,” he added.
“I think Ajinkya is known as the top player in world cricket. And he has played overseas for India, where he has scored a lot of centuries and has built a lot of partnerships. In England, Australia, and in the last South African series he batted very well,” Shardul Thakur added.
The 35-year-old shared crucial partnerships alongside Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur in the middle overs to bat the Indian team out of deep trouble. India’s top order comprising skipper Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, experienced Cheteshwar Pujara, and Virat Kohli departed cheaply after some good starts in the early part of the innings.
Ajinkya Rahane Was Always Batting Well – Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur said that Ajinkya Rahane batted beautifully even during his tough times in International Cricket and praised his impressive show in domestic cricket for the Mumbai team. The Right-handed batter piled up 634 runs in 7 matches at an average of 57.63 including a double century to his name.
“Last time also, when he was going through a lean patch, it didn’t seem like he would get out. He was always batting well. And this time, the domestic matches that he has played, the runs that he has made in Ranji Trophy, we saw him batting with that confidence,” Shardul Thakur added.
The Mumbai-born batter was dropped from the test squad after the conclusion of the South Africa series in 2022, following his string of poor performances in red-ball cricket, as he made a terrific comeback into the side following his performance for the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2023.