Vaibhav Tripathi
Shardul Thakur, India’s seam-bowling all-rounder, expressed his belief that even a target of 450 runs can be chased down in the fourth innings of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The all-rounder took up the example of England overhauling a massive target last year to draw the Test series against India 2-2. Although that Test was played at Edgbaston and not The Oval.
“Well, cricket is a funny game,” said Shardul, while speaking at the press conference after Day 3. “You can never say what is the right total and this one-off game, especially ICC finals, you never know. I mean, who can handle the pressure better out there – one good partnership and you can even chase down 450 or maybe more than that. So, last year that England have chased 400 (378 at Edgbaston) and they did not lose too many wickets.
“So that’s a positive sign for us. Whatever they put up on the board, it’s too early to make any predictions. We see a lot of times in Test cricket that the game changes within an hour. So, yes, we like to be optimistic tomorrow going on to the field. And we’ll take it on from there.”
The WTC final has been a challenging experience for Team India, in terms of demanding pitch conditions. The morning session witnessed Cummins bowling an incisive spell, with Shardul finding himself in the firing line.
Shardul, who took to the field without arm-guards, endured a painful blow to his right-hand from the Australian pace ace. Concerned for his well-being, the Indian team physio hurried on to the field to assess Shardul’s bowling-arm. Cummins then hit Shardul on his fore-arm. Shardul noted that the pitch was offering variable bounce.
“The ball was hard and it was bouncing from an odd length even when we started yesterday early morning. Probably with six wickets down and not too many runs, under pressure, you would say yes, the toughest hour. Though I have played a handful of games, but I feel like – welcome to Test Cricket.”
In a pivotal collaboration, Shardul and Ajinkya Rahane combined forces to forge a significant 109-run partnership, propelling India to a total of 296 runs. Rahane showcased his prowess with a sublime innings of 89 runs from 129 deliveries, while Shardul made a valuable contribution with 51 runs off 109 balls. Their collective efforts played a crucial role in India’s competitive total.
“We didn’t decide anything. That was no situation to decide anything. We just had to absorb the pressure. We were talking to each other a lot, ‘if the ball is moving? how is it moving? How did the bowler grip the ball? I mean, there was seam movement or swing in the air, even if we played wrong. And, he is a senior player, he has played a lot, he told me 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.'”
The pitch’s unpredictable bounce has presented significant challenges for batsmen of both the teams. Notably, players such as Rahane, Shardul, and Labuschagne have taken multiple blows. The pitch displays visible patches, resulting in uneven bounce, with some deliveries rising sharply and others keeping low.
“I think there is an area from where the ball is coming up, there is a little grass around the crack and the length is such that batters can’t leave the deliveries easily. You have to play committedly, because we saw today many balls kept down and I mean that is an area of good length, a little short of length.
“So that’s the area where the batsmen can’t immediately see and leave the ball. You have to play it. And if it bounces from there, then good luck for the batsmen. It was bouncing from the other end too, but from a bit behind, so the batsmen were getting time to adjust. I think only Virat got the bounce from further on, but for all the rest, it bounced from behind.”