Australia series an ideal opportunity to show our A game: Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur Biography

Virat Kohli and his men are in terrific form in all three formats of the game especially at home and they will finally face Australia later this month, which is expected to be a cracker of a battle between the two top in-form sides. India’s fast bowler Shardul Thakur believes this is the ideal opportunity to show India’s dominance against a top side.

“It is an ideal opportunity for all of us to show our A-game because the stronger the opponent, the more you will get tested. I look at it as an opportunity. If they are getting tougher, how do we put our A-game on the park? How do you bail out your team from a tough situation?” he said.

Thakur has got an opportunity once again to show his worth in the absence of injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar. He will team up with Jasprit Bumrah, who made his return from a long-term injury and  Navdeep Saini for the series against Sri Lanka and Australia this month.

“I feel the ball is coming out of my hand really well. Whatever matches I play in, this is my mantra: ‘bowl hard, bowl fast’. You have to get ahead of the opponents, what they are thinking or not thinking and in what frame of mind the batsman has come out to bat,” said Thakur before leaving to join the India team.

The fast bowler also warned that India won’t take Sri Lanka lightly despite their dominate record against them this format and also revealed his important turn around of his career.

“In 2017 IPL, when I was transferred from Kings XI to RPS, that was an important break for me. Before that, I hadn’t played much with the white ball. When in the 2018 auction I went to CSK, I was very happy because we had the same support staff, Dhoni Bhai was also around. I knew how our coach Stephen Fleming works, how Mahi Bhai works. When you establish a rapport, it gets easier for the player.”

“Whenever I play, both give me a free hand. They come and ask what my plan is for the opponent.‘What are you thinking? How are you going to tackle the batsmen?’ They just helped me with better answers. If you are thinking about yorkers, they will talk it out: whether to bowl stump yorkers or wide yorkers. They give you that clarity,” he concluded.