Boria Majumdar
In his comeback series in England, Shardul Thakur played in the defeat in Leeds, and the dramatic draw in Manchester. He made just 46 runs and took 2-144 across the two games. But just being back in the fold at the age of 33 felt like a victory of sorts. In this exclusive chat with Boria Majumdar, RevSportz editor-in-chief, Shardul spoke of his return to the Test side, the influence of Gautam Gambhir, and how a young side just refused to be beaten.
Boria: Give us a bit on your training schedule, and your constant commitment towards it. I have spoken to you twice after you are back from England, and both times you said you are training. Tell us about the way you respect your sport and training.
Shardul: There is a small correction. I did start training on my return, but only after 2-3 days of rest because of the jet lag. I guess it’s the feeling to be the better version of yourself every time we step onto the ground. A performance is not always guaranteed but backing ourselves up with training and preparation helps a lot to feel self-confidence. The rest, I allow the game to take over. Coming to the second question, what keeps me going? The sport we play is very demanding and requires us to be on the field for long hours because of the format it has – be it Test, ODI or T20.
Most of the days, we are playing morning to evening, so the amount of time that we spend on the field is too high. So, as soon as we are off (not playing matches), we’ve got to start with our training or gym/running sessions or skills development so that it feels easy on the body from the workload point of view. And as a player, I definitely feel it is our utmost responsibility to train and keep our bodies in shape, at all times.
Boria: How do you look back on this last one year of not giving up despite injuries, not getting selected in the team, rehab et cetera? And then getting back for England tour and your contribution.
Shardul: With the domestic cricket network being so huge in our country, one should be extremely lucky to be picked for Indian team. Phases of not getting selected is something that comes in every athlete’s life, but what matters is how they get out of it. That’s what defines their character. During the past year, I kept contributing with my performance in domestic cricket and tried my level best. I guess that’s what I got rewarded for, and that’s what led my way back into the team.
Boria: Do you think ‘fighting’ was that one quality that stood out for Team India in all the Test matches in this series?
Shardul: Everyone gave in a lot of energy even when fielding after a tiring, tough session, or say a big partnership. No one showed any sign of “letting the match go”. India was in winning positions in most of the matches except for Manchester. I would say both teams played equal cricket, just that England being their home ground, the hosts had slightly more advantage of knowing the conditions better. Team India, on the other hand, always had their spirits high and had terrific individual performances that inspired the rest to follow their lead and perform.
Every match, I believe we had performances from individuals that stood out. For example, [Jasprit] Bumrah taking a five-for, getting few hundreds in the first match, Prasidh [Krishna] and I getting crucial wickets, Siraj (Mohammed) bowling long spells. Shubman [Gill] in Birmingham, Rishabh [Pant] with those two hundreds, KL Rahul getting a hundred, bowlers making things happen. Oval third innings, having runs from the lower order – those are kind of things that keep the atmosphere alive in the dressing room.
Boria: Can you tell me how did this young team with a new captain gel together?
Shardul: When your backs are against the wall, there is no going back and that was the situation, having two of the most senior pro players [Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma] retiring from the game, and not having Mohammed Shami in the squad. The bit of experience this team had was in form of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. The batting unit was fairly inexperienced, except for KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. This team had no other option than to rise and put up a fight, because at the end of the day, you are representing India. Even our team huddles had Gauti Bhai [Gautam Gambhir] saying: “You are lucky to be representing your country.” Maybe young, but we are here because of our talent, and as our coach said: “If you have the belief, then there is no opponent that you cannot beat. If it’s your day, you can take any side down, based on how badly you want it.”
And most importantly, when youngsters are in the team, they would do anything to showcase their talent in front of the world. I guess that’s what lifted the morale of the team and kept our team going.
Boria: Tell us a bit about the last day when you all came into the ground with 35 runs left and only four wickets to go?
Shardul: What happened on day four was that the old ball still had its shine and it was swinging, so it helped us to get those two crucial wickets of Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell. It was Joe Root’s wicket next, and then it was time for the next day. The full team was on the same page that we are going to win this one, our huddle was also plain and simple. Gauti Bhai asked us to keep the belief that we can do it. Siraj and Prasidh were in their spells, so it was also important for them to have a good start, which they did. Loads of credit goes to Siraj and Prasidh for getting those important wickets and the way they pushed their bodies, especially Siraj after playing all five Tests. It was all about building the pressure, and one of the teams had to falter under that pressure. I feel India came out with flying colours.
Boria: How are you looking at the Duleep Trophy and how are you looking at the season ahead?
Shardul: Duleep Trophy is one tournament where a player gets rewarded for their performance in previous seasons, or rather through the whole season. In fact, the top 15 players from each zone play in the tournament and the competition again gets tougher and a level up from what you play at state level, where there is a mix of strong and not-so-strong teams. Duleep trophy, on the other hand, is a competition among the equals, so I would like to use this opportunity to express myself and show my talent.
Of course, I’ve been given a role and I’m leading the West Zone. So, rather than a challenge, it’s more like an experience for me on the personal front, to understand what qualities a leader should possess. I believe I have a few, but using this tournament, I would want to enhance my leadership qualities further. I understand that as a captain, I will have to be available for the players, sit and discuss bowling styles and fielding positions, strategies et cetera, so yes, looking forward to what all is going to open up for me in this leadership journey.
Boria: What do you have to say about these two players, Kuldeep Yadav and Abhimanyu Easwaran, who hasn’t played in months but are still putting 200% effort for the team?
Shardul: On a few occasions, I was also in the same boat. As a player, you go through a lot of emotions and it’s not easy to sit out, questioning yourself about what you are doing not getting a game. There are two things. Like I said before, not everyone is privileged enough to be in the India side. The second thing is, unfortunately the competition is high in India and only 11 of them get to be a part of the actual playing team. We need to understand that this is probably the best 11 that the management is looking at, according to the pitch and weather conditions. You’ll have to tell your mind that this was not my game, and it’s also a lot to be able to travel with the team and share the dressing room with the rest. I don’t have many answers to this one, but one just needs to wait around for that one chance.
Boria: Gautam has received a lot of criticism for the losses against New Zealand and Australia. From my point of view, Gautam has this never-give-up attitude. Do you think so too, that he has introduced such an attitude into the side?
Shardul: Yes, we have always seen him as a player who is willing to fight for the team, and even during the huddles, he transferred that energy into us, the one that he brought into the field during his playing days. He is an achiever who has won trophies for the nation and the state. And he brings all those experiences and motivations into the team. Criticism will come and go, but as a team, winning matters, and I believe we are heading in the right direction when it comes to that.
Boria: You were a part of that historic Australia series win (2021), and now this England draw. Can you compare? Is it possible?
Shardul: Both were unique in their own ways. Playing during Covid was challenging, equally because of the off-the-field challenges, as on field. There were not a lot of facilities provided, and at the end of every game, two players on an average used to get Injured. So, it was like eight players ruled out by the end of the series, so yet again youngsters stepped in. Talking about this series, every match went till the last day, last session, which showed the fight we put into it. It was probably cricket winning rather than countries. This kind of cricket is something else, and as a cricketer, you live for these goosebump moments. I consider myself lucky to be a part of these great wins and tournaments where viewership spreads. It is a win-win situation for the player, and also the game of cricket.
Boria: It’s always a pleasure talking to you. All the best for the Duleep Trophy, and everything else.
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🚨EXCLUSIVE | Shardul Thakur: “When your backs are against the wall, there is no going back”
In this exclusive interview, Shardul Thakur opens up about his journey back to the Indian Test side after a long injury layoff. Shardul also talks about the influence of Gautam Gambhir,… pic.twitter.com/kTSHtJEfmX
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