"Captain Decides": Asked Tricky Question, Shardul Thakur Puts Entire Responsibility On Shubman Gill

India all-rounder Shardul Thakur proved once again why he deserves to remain in the Indian team. In the first innings of the Manchester Test against England, Shardul's 88-ball 41 played a crucial role in taking Team India's score to 358/10. However, it was strange to see Shardul only bowling 5 overs by the end of the play on Day 2 despite Team India's struggles to dismiss English batters. When asked about the lack of bowling, Shardul said that it was entirely the captain, Shubman Gill's call.

While all of the over seamers bowled at least 10 overs, Shardul was the only one who bowled 5 on Thursday. In fact, even spinner Ravindra Jadeja bowled more overs (8) than Shardul during the second day's play.

"Giving bowling is the captain's call. Not in my hands. The captain decides when to give them," Shardul said in the press conference after the end of the day's play. "I could have bowled two overs more today but that is the captain's call. It is difficult to find rhythm but I try and use my experience."

Speaking to reporters, Shardul confirmed that Pant indeed suffered a fracture while batting on day one.

"I think it was always our plan (to try and bring Pant to the middle). There were quite a few efforts from the medical team. So, yes, kudos to them," said Shardul referring to Pant's fifty that helped India post 358 in their first innings.

"They could get Rishabh back onto the field. He could bat there for a while. And whatever he did, it's of course vital runs for the team he scored.

"And yes, he was in a lot of pain. And we have seen him doing a lot of amazing things. And this was just another amazing thing that he did for the team today," added Shardul.

With PTI Inputs

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team England Cricket Team Shubman Gill Shardul Thakur England vs India, 2025 Cricket