Sanjay Manjrekar, former Indian batsman turned commentator said that he wasn’t taken by surprise on witnessing pacer Shardul Thakur’s remarkable bowling on Day 2 of the ongoing second Test against South Africa. He went on to say that Shardul Thakur is the kind of bowler who takes his chances and will either go for runs or will end up taking wickets for his side.
Shardul Thakur marked his best figures with the red-ball, taking as many as seven wickets conceding just 61 runs during South Africa’s first innings. He delivered whenever stand-in skipper KL Rahul called upon him and got India back into the game with his breakthroughs.
Sanjay Manjrekar Isn’t Surprised That Every Time Shardul Thakur Has Picked Up Wickets For India
Sanjay Manjrekar, while reviewing Day 2, was quick to recognize the risk-taking attribute of the right-arm pacer. The ex-Indian cricketer commended Shardul Thakur for putting the ball in wicket-taking areas.
Sanjay Manjrekar said: “Every time Shardul has bowled for India, he has got wickets. He puts the ball where he is likely to get wickets. It doesn’t surprise me every time Shardul Thakur picks up wickets. He’s one of those bowlers who will take a chance. He’ll either go for four or he will get a wicket. That’s why CSK play him. Dhoni has never dropped Shardul Thakur.”
According to Sanjay Manjrekar, Shardul Thakur has a street-smart cricketing mind and will now challenge Mohammed Siraj for the third-best seamer in the Indian Test team.
Manjrekar said: “Shardul is one of those underrated bowlers who you’d think is at best fourth seamer in the side, someone you can knock off runs against after playing of Bumrah or Shami. But he’s got a street-smart cricketing brain. I’m really happy that India have backed him in two tests. He will now start challenging Mohammed Siraj.”
In his brief international career, pace all-rounder Shardul Thakur has played 6 Tests picking 23 scalps averaging 19.17 besides amassing 204 runs with 3 fifties averaging 25.5. He has also played 15 ODIs and 24 T20Is, picking up 22 and 31 wickets, respectively. Shardul Thakur grabbed 55 wickets in 48 matches for the four-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings.
Shardul Thakur’s seven-wicket haul couldn’t stop South Africa from taking a 27-run first-innings lead but India started their second innings positively and was 85 for 2 – ahead by 58 – at stumps on day two of the second Test in Johannesburg. With Mohammed Siraj not looking 100% fit, Shardul Thakur stepped up with the ball and finished with 7 for 61, the best bowling figures for India against South Africa.
Daryll Cullinan: Not The Kind Of Surface One Want For Any Test Match
Former South African batsman Daryll Cullinan has criticized the Wanderers Stadium’s pitch and believes it isn’t ‘ideal’ for Test cricket. Due to the uneven bounce, the surface in Johannesburg has received a lot of attention from former cricketers and pundits. Daryll Cullinan, who was part of the conversation with Sanjay Manjrekar, also slammed the pitch.
While stating that he can’t imagine what the track would look like by Day 5, the former batter said: “If we have a dry night and a warm sun in the morning, I think the saving grace may be that we won’t go to the fifth day. Because I cannot imagine what the surface will look like on Day 5. It’s not the type of surface you’d ideally want for any Test match anyway.”
The encounter is perfectly poised at the moment with the visitors leading by 58 runs with eight wickets still remaining in the bank. The experienced duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are still unbeaten at the crease, with India at 85-2 at stumps.
India 202 and 85 for 2 (Pujara 35*, Rahane 11*, Jansen 1-18) lead South Africa 229 (Petersen 62, Bavuma 51, Thakur 7-61) by 58 runs