Shardul Thakur: Losing Brisbane Test was not an option

Mumbai all-rounder talks about what it took to play a pivotal role with bat and ball in India's Brisbane glory

There were several factors that went into India’s second consecutive Test series victory in Australia. And the Shardul Thakur one was not the least vital. 

The Mumbai all-rounder played a significant role in India conquering the Gabba fortress and there was enough reason for the celebrations not to die down in Brisbane.

He only played the Test due to an injury to Jasprit Bumrah and the Palghar Express was ready to prove his mettle. He claimed seven wickets (3-94 and 4-61) in the and contributed a vital 67 in the first innings at No. 8 to pull India out of the rut, along with Washington Sundar (62). The duo put on a 123-run stand to provide India a shot in the arm; the first innings deficit reduced to 33 runs.  
 
Thakur, 29, had to wait for this opportunity for over two years after his debut Test lasted only 10 balls; painfully walking off the field with a groin strain against West Indies at Hyderabad in 2018.

Head coach Ravi Shastri rightly addressed him as a “debutant” in his dressing room speech on Tuesday.

Edited excerpts:

How keen were you to make this opportunity count?
Obviously, I had to make this opportunity count, not just for myself, but for the team as well. When I went in to bat, you had to look at the overall Test match...it was an important moment. It would have helped us retain the [Border-Gavaskar] Trophy and be in a good position on the ICC World Test Championship points table. We had to either draw or win this game Losing was not an option. So I had to make use of this opportunity, make it count and help my team with my performances.  
 
Would you like to be called a bowling all-rounder now?
Yes, you can call me a fast-bowling all-rounder because I have the ability to bat. But obviously, my primary job is to bowl. My batting gives my team an added advantage. Whatever runs I score are going to be a bonus for the team.
 
How pleased are you with your bowling?
I am quite pleased with my bowling performance. I was playing in just my second Test match, so I am not too experienced. I have played quite a few first-class games [63] but playing a Test match is always different. If you consider my bowling performance, it was nice as I got seven wickets in the game, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. I would like to develop some more skills to my bowling and add some deception as well. These are the two skill sets I am looking to work on.
 
What were you thinking when you went in to bat with India 186-6 in the first innings?
I was only thinking about killing time...bat as much as possible. Washington and I were not looking to score runs at that time. We were not looking at the scoreboard [initially]. The plan was to bat for long because the trick was to tire their bowlers as they had played in all four Test matches. Eventually, if we spent more time at the crease and tire their bowlers, it would have got a bit easier. So, honestly, I was just looking to bat for as long as possible.

Secondly, I knew that I’ve got an opportunity to play a Test match after two years. My primary job was to bowl well. Even if I would have got out early, no one would have judged me. But I was thinking about not throwing away my wicket. I wanted their bowlers to work hard for my wicket. Once you are on the field, you don’t think that you are getting an opportunity after too long and how it is going to turn out, especially in such an intense game.  

07
No. of wickets claimed by Shardul Thakur in the fourth Test at Brisbane

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