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A few days ago, India were seemingly dealt a blow when Shardul Thakur was ruled out of the 2nd Test at Lord’s. A game earlier, Thakur had accounted for four English batters across both innings. That, coupled with his ability with the willow, meant that plenty were disappointed that he was missing out.
However, India welcomed that setback with open arms, for they were able to unleash the quartet of Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. The pacers took 19 of the 20 wickets on offer and effectively bowled the Men In Blue to a historic triumph – one that didn’t seem likely on Day 5 but was ultimately fashioned by their fast bowlers.
With Ajinkya Rahane confirming that Thakur is indeed fit and available for selection at Headingley, India are faced with an almighty quandary. They can either decide to stick with their fearsome fast-bowling attack or they can choose to twist and hand Thakur only his 4th Test cap.
As things stand, there is not a lot hinting at which course of action India might take, despite the 3rd Test being only a couple of days away. Hence, the time might be right to delve into what Shardul Thakur brings to the fore and why he might not be as great a fit for the Indian side as envisioned previously.
#3 The current pacers complement themselves extremely well
For most teams, the presence of two among Bumrah, Ishant, Shami and Siraj would’ve been a luxury. India are blessed that they can actually afford all of them in the same team. To that end, it might be a shame if India don’t allow them to operate in tandem because, simply put, this could be the most irresistible bowling line-up on the planet.
At Lord’s, each bowler played their part perfectly. While Bumrah started off the game slowly, he came into his own courtesy of a short-ball barrage against James Anderson – an event that also sparked Bumrah and India into life.
Ishant, despite looking a tad lackluster at the outset, regained his mojo towards the end of England’s first innings when he accounted for Moeen Ali and Sam Curran off consecutive deliveries. He had also castled Jos Buttler prior to that. Shami, meanwhile, didn’t quite hit his straps frequently, but when he did he looked unplayable.
Siraj, on the other hand, was arguably the best bowler on display at Lord’s, which considering the other nominees he was up against is an enormous achievement in itself.
Apart from that, though, this particular pace quartet complements itself really well. Bumrah and Ishant are blessed with unerring accuracy and rarely allow opposition batters to generate a head of steam. Not only does this open up wicket-taking opportunities for them, but it also allows Shami and Siraj to attack relentlessly – something that was on display at Lord’s.
Additionally, the aforementioned bowlers have now managed to dent England’s confidence – a trait that could be very handy, especially if the hosts find themselves in a similar situation anytime soon.
From that perspective alone, India could reap the rewards, much like Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin did when the Three Lions toured India. That these pacers are also not very shabby when operating together only adds another feather to what has become a burgeoning reputation.
While Shardul Thakur is a capable bowler in his own right, he doesn’t seem to boast the kind of match-winning potential India’s current fast bowlers have. And as they say, there’s no reason to fix something if it isn’t broken!
#2 The conditions at Headingley might not suit Shardul Thakur
For the past few days, Headingley has been bathed in sunshine. While the odd spot of rain has hovered over Leeds, it hasn’t continued for prolonged spells, meaning that there might not be a lot of moisture when the pitch is unveiled on Wednesday.
Speaking of the surface, it housed quite a few games of The Hundred. Liam Livingstone in particular enjoyed the strip, with the Northern Superchargers also registering the highest total of the competition at this venue. Thus, a case could be made that the track could be dry, hard and to an extent even abrasive, considering the heat wave that has gripped Leeds lately.
If that were to be the case, swing might be at a premium. This might be a problem for Shardul Thakur, considering that it is his modus operandi. At Trent Bridge, Thakur looked good in patches and got the ball to move away from the batters. He also extracted inward seam movement and accounted for Dan Lawrence in that manner.
However, if the pitch is dry, Shardul Thakur might not be able to make the most of the conditions. Over the years, he hasn’t really been someone known for his reverse-swing. That aspect, especially when pitted against his competitors, should prompt India to resist the temptation of including Thakur.
Furthermore, there were a few glimpses at Trent Bridge where Thakur was looking jaded towards the end of England’s second essay. Though Thakur still picked up the wickets of Buttler and Lawrence, he bowled a loose delivery almost every over – something that India might not fancy on what could be a flat surface at Leeds.
#1 India need to stop worrying about the batting prowess of their bowlers
In the aftermath of the World Test Championship final, there were a couple of themes that reverberated considerably. While one revolved around how India needed a three-match series to prove their supremacy, another and more damning indictment surrounded their fast bowlers’ ability (or lack thereof) with the bat.
As a resounding riposte, Bumrah and Shami were the ones to haul India to a match-winning total at Lord’s. Yet, there still exist hushed murmurs that India want more batting security from their fast bowlers – something that Shardul Thakur provides.
Having said that, Thakur only managed a duck in the solitary innings he has played so far and doesn’t have a first-class average (16.38) that screams out. And while he will, more often than not, contribute something with the willow, there is no guarantee that he will come up trumps each time he bats.
Most tellingly, it is perhaps time for India to stop worrying about what their bowlers can do with the bat.
Apart from a fifty in the second innings at Lord’s, Ajinkya Rahane has hardly set the world ablaze. The same can be said about Cheteshwar Pujara, who looks incredibly tentative at the moment.
Virat Kohli, too, hasn’t enjoyed a purple patch, meaning that a lot of the run-scoring burden has fallen on KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma. And of course, the fast bowlers.
Bumrah, Ishant, Shami and Siraj may not have excellent first-class averages, nor do they possess the range of strokes that Shardul Thakur does. But each has the wherewithal to apply themselves in the middle and tide over any storms that England might brew – something that became evident during Bumrah and Shami’s heroic partnership at Lord’s.
Thus, it may be prudent for India to not worry about their bowlers and how many runs they can contribute. Though those runs never act as a bane, it seems exceptionally harsh to replace bowlers on their batting ability even as the middle order continues to produce uninspiring displays.
Over to you, Virat Kohli!
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