India all-rounder Shardul Thakur believes that his game is all about confidence and self-belief. The 30-year-old is also looking forward to Proteas challenge as he wants to repeat his heroics in Australia and England.
The Mumbai all-rounder was one of the heroes in India’s famous win at Brisbane earlier this year when he took 7 wickets in the match and also scored a crucial fifty to conquer the Gabba. In his 4-Test career, he has picked 14 wickets. He is in the scheme of things for India in all three formats. 22 wickets in 15 ODIs and 31 wickets in 24 T20Is tell a bit about his wicket-taking ability in shorter formats as well.
“I do like to plan my game in terms of both bowling and batting. When I enter the ground, everything is about confidence and self-belief for me. If you are playing white-ball cricket, you think of yorker. So to bowl that yorker, I go in with full confidence which stands out for me as a player,” Thakur spoke to R Ashwin in a video released by BCCI.TV.
In the longest format, Shardul has been equally impressive with the bat as well. Apart from Gabba heroics he also scored twin fifties against England at the Oval.
“The tours in South Africa have always been competitive. We played well, but we lost the series 1-2. We were lacking that a person who could ‘hook-pull’. A person who can dismiss the short ball out of the vicinity. You did it in England, you did it in Australia. It’s time you did it in South Africa,” R Ashwin jokingly said to Thakur.
“I am looking forward to it. I hope it comes off in South Africa too as I have been successful in England and Australia, to contribute in South African conditions, I would be more than happy,” Thakur replied.
Meanwhile, the 2nd day of the Centurion Test has been washed out due to persistent rain as India will resume their innings with 272/3. KL Rahul (122*) and Ajinkya Rahane (40*) will resume their battle as India would be eying for a big total.
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