"There is a reason people call him Lord Shardul" - Fans react to Shardul Thakur's astonishing knock at the Oval

Bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur hit a sensational fifty on Day One at the Oval to lend some respectability to India's first innings total. Due to this counter-attacking knock, Thakur justified the expectations the fans and team management had from him in the lower order.

He came in to bat when India were in a dire situation, having lost Rishabh Pant for the sixth wicket with 117 on the board. At this juncture, Shardul Thakur played an aggressive brand of cricket and took all the bowlers to the cleaners. He nonchalantly hit boundaries at will en route to his second half-century in Test cricket in just five innings.

Due to half-centuries from Shardul Thakur and Virat Kohli, Team India managed to get to 191. Thakur's knock (57 in 36 balls), which came at an astonishing strike rate of 158.33, gave India some hope after a dismal performance from the batting department.

Indian fans were delighted to witness such fierce hitting from Thakur against the English bowlers, who had earlier rattled Team India's batting unit.

Fans took to Twitter to shower praise on Thakur for his authoritative batsmanship in difficult conditions. Here are some of the best reactions:

Jasprit Bumrah gives Team India a good start by dismissing English openers

Team India's batting department put on another poor showing at the Oval in the fourth Test. The onus is now on the bowling department to bail the team out of trouble again.

Jasprit Bumrah began proceedings on a promising note by scalping the wickets of openers Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed cheaply within the first few overs. Getting Joe Root's wicket is going to be key for India to succeed yet again. The English skipper got off to a great start again and is looking in pristine touch, which is an ominous sign for the visitors.

About the author

Balakrishna has been a cricket writer at Sportskeeda for almost seven years. A sport that he has been following and playing since he was eight, Balakrishna enjoys the intensity of the sport, skills and strategies applied to get a result out of nowhere, and the thrill that it gives. He also played as a medium pace bowling all-rounder in four inter-college tournaments, winning twice.

Balakrishna’s all-time favorite cricketers are Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma. He admires Sachin’s stellar performances against legendary bowlers, along with his discipline and humility. Meanwhile, he is a big fan of how Rohit turned around his initial struggles to build a successful career.

He avidly supports Team India and 2016 IPL winners SunRisers Hyderabad. The first World Cup that Balakrishna ever saw was the 2003 World Cup, when Australia comprehensively triumphed over India in the final.

While working, he ensures he only uses reliable sources and provides relevant, ethical, and accurate information. When not working, Balakrishna enjoys playing table tennis and reading non-fiction books.

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