Shardul: Gabba win felt like movie script
In the deciding Brisbane Test, every time Australia looked like seizing the initiative, Shardul Thakur produced inspiring performances to lead the fightback. In an interview to Hindustan Times, the 29-year-old looks back on the momentous series and says that beating a full-strength Australian side with India’s injury laden team was “like a movie script” and that he has a lot more to achieve before he can be the answer to India’s search for a pace bowling allrounder. “I believe I’m a bowling all-rounder (but) I have to back it up with performances. Just carrying a tag won’t help. I’ve to prove it as well. The best way to do is by contributing in wins,” he said. About India’s win, he said, “Beating a full-strength Australia at the Gabba without our main players and winning the series was dramatic; it was like a movie script… like India will come here, play with a young team and win.”
MUMBAI: In the deciding Brisbane Test, every time Australia looked like seizing the initiative, Shardul Thakur produced inspiring performances to lead the fightback. On the second morning, Tim Paine and Cameron Green were set to take Australia’s total past 400 when he removed the Aussie skipper. India then were reeling at 186/6 when his stroke-filled 67 and century stand with Washington Sundar whittled down the lead to 33 runs. Again the hosts got off to a flyer, but Thakur dismissing Marcus Harris triggered the fightback. With seven wickets and a vital fifty, Thakur celebrated his Test comeback, underlining qualities as a pacebowling all-rounder. The 29-year-old looks back on the momentous series in this interview. Excerpts:
The euphoria in India is like the 1983 and 2011 World Cup triumphs.
We have never received such praise before. We’ve won in the past too but the atmosphere is totally different. The victory tastes sweet as a lot of our players were injured, many new boys played and history was created. Beating a full-strength Australia at the Gabba without our main players and winning the series was dramatic; it was like a movie script…like India will come here, play with a young team and win.
A young team achieved that, so the craze is different. At the airport there was a huge reception, at home in the village (Mahim, Palghar) lot of people had gathered. More were willing to come but because of the Covid restrictions, we informed as many as possible that we’ll celebrate later to avoid crowding. Firecrackers were going off all
the time, received a lot of bouquets as well. There is lot of excitement at home, people are coming continuously. We are receiving a lot of love from all over the country.
What was the reaction of your parents?
They are very passionate about cricket, they were happy. Even when I wasn’t playing, I was speaking to my dad almost every day over phone. During the Brisbane Test, I would talk to him after the day’s play. He has played at local level so gets very excited whenever India plays. I
got three wickets in the first innings. Dad was happy but he was like “you could have got five. Push yourself in the next innings”. He was happy when I took four wickets in the second innings. I felt (Mohammed) Siraj should get the five-wicket haul. It was an emotional moment for him as his dad had just passed away. My dad said “good Siraj got the five wickets”.
You must have received a lot of messages?
Yes, I haven’t had time to reply to all…. Lot of players too have sent messages. During the
match, I was speaking to Wasim bhai (Jaffer). He has seen me since school cricket, knows my game well. He told me “when you bowl in second innings, aim for five wickets because you bowled well in the first innings and batted nicely. Run hard, bowl fast”.
Rohit Sharma is your school senior. How was interacting with him during the Test?
Rohit has been a big inspiration as we are from the same school (Swami Vivekanand International School, Borivli). He
has come from a humble background. He showed us all that even if you come from a remote area you can play good level of cricket. His parents used to stay in Dombivli and he was sent to stay with his grandparents at Borivli. Then (coach) Dinesh Lad sir spotted him. He played for India U-19 and then for India, so for us as well it was an inspiration. Looking at him we used to feel even we can live our dream. Whenever he came to the school for practice, it was a huge motivation…it was like “wow, we will be bowling against an India player”. So we to raise the bar, try bowling faster to him. During the Brisbane Test as well I was speaking at length with him. We have known each other for a long time, “toh do gaali bhi deka baat kiya toh kharab nahin kagta hai) (even if he is blunt in his observations, one doesn’t feel bad). While I was batting, he was in the dugout sending signals, messages with the 12th man asking me to hang in there as the Australian bowlers were tiring.
India has searched for a pace bowling all-rounder for long. Do you see you fitting that role?
I believe I’m a bowling allrounder (but) I have to back it up with performances. Just carrying a tag won’t help. I’ve to prove it as well. The best way to do is by contributing in wins. Batting lower down, I may not be able to score big hundreds, but can make useful contributions. Even a 30-40 will bail out your team from a difficult situation. The value of a pace bowling allrounder is very high. If wickets fall and the lower order gets to bat in the last 10-12 overs in limited overs or till the end of the session in Tests, then batting at that number becomes very important. If we keep doing that consistently it will cause fear in the opponents’ camp that our tail-enders bat as well.
You didn’t seem to have any self-doubt going in to bat.
There was a bit, but confidence was high you can say. Whenever I get to bat in the nets, I face the throw down specialists, they hurl deliveries really fast, so adjusting during the match was a bit easy.
The next step is handling the match pressure as we had already lost our main batsmen. In that situation, you have only one option—bat as long as possialso ble. The plan was clear. Even if runs don’t come and we can bat till end of day’s play, the situation will be different. That was in my and (Washington) Sundar’s mind.
Also, (Australia) bowlers were playing the fourth game in a row, and there wasn’t much break between the Tests. They had played against England and then in IPL, so they were playing continuously. So if we batted, there was a chance of tiring them out, that’s what happened.
Talk about your bowling plans in the Test.
The mindset was different from the first innings to the second. I was playing after two years, so there’s always a (concern) how it will turn out; there was uncertainty and I was a bit nervous. As I grew into my spell and got wickets, that diminished.
In the second innings I was more confident. It was nice to break the opening partnership between David Warner and Harris (Shardul took his wicket). If the partnership had grown, they could have set a huge total. In that spell, I was only thinking how to get a wicket and break the partnership. I was planning his wicket. I hadn’t bowled a bouncer to him for a long time, so I decided to bowl one and he got out.
In the first innings I got three wickets, bowled decently. Then I scored runs, was involved in a big partnership. Because of that, I was even more confident in the second innings. Once it happens, it helps execute your skill with more precision.
You got to play only in the last Test. How did you cope with waiting?
It’s not easy for anyone. Then, for a player it is important to focus on preparation. Even if there is a bit of confusion or laxity, it is going to harm your perused formance.
Those two years it took to play my second Test were difficult for me. I had injury, then I was out for three months, then I played well in the Ranji Trophy and IPL. Again I was out for three months and came back. The selectors trusted me and straight after I returned from injury, they gave me an opportunity to play for India A. I did well. It built my confidence, the belief that if these people trust me so much with my abilities, then if I perform well, work hard, my opportunity will come again—better late than never.
You play for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. What has been Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s influence?
His contribution has been immense. When I joined CSK, I had played handful of Ranji Trophy and IPL games. He gave me lot of freedom. He always used to say “plan the way you have to bowl, execute it, understand your game. If your plan doesn’t work, then I will think whether to implement my plan or not”.
Ajinkya Rahane has received lot of praise for his leadership.
He continued from where Virat left. We have a good setup and all the youngsters who come in put in a lot of effort. He is an experienced campaigner. He used to tell us, “Whatever you have planned as a bowling unit, keep doing it. Keep going ball after ball, don’t lose yourself midway”.