Johannesburg:
Shardul Thakur Saw a crack in the area from the back of the length to good length and was trying to hit that area to get the ball back into the right hand.
Thakur’s first five-wicket haul put India in pole position after the second day as they restricted South Africa’s first innings lead to just 27 and then ended the day at 85 for 2.
“When I started bowling, those 22-yards had a length somewhere from where the ball was kicking and staying a little down. So I just tried to hit that spot and hit that crack,” the pacer said. added, who hails from Palghar area near Mumbai.
The key was to hit the right areas as both the Centurion and Johannesburg tracks offered help for the fast bowlers.
“Look at both places, even when we played at Centurion and here at Joburg (Johannesburg). wanderers‘There is and there was some help in the pitch, so all you had to do was keep working hard on the batsman and bowling in the right places, that’s what I was trying to do as well,” Thakur said.
The seamer believes the match conditions are difficult
Thakur said that India still cannot be called a strong contender to win the match.
“The current match situation, if you look at that it’s difficult. The lead we take from here and the bigger the target we set is good, because as the game progresses and we all know that last two days In the U.S., it’s not that easy to bat on the pitch.
“So, from our team’s point of view, the bigger the goal we set, and the longer the game, that’s good, because there’s a lot of time left in the game.”
“The best is yet to come”
He may have done his best in all formats of red ball cricket with 7 for 61 against South Africa but the Mumbai pacer is confident that he can deliver his best.
Shardul quipped, “This is my best figure, but the best is always to come, I would say.”
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In Pics: Shardul Thakur picks seven wickets as India on their way to Test series win in South Africa
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Shardul Thakur’s career-best performance enabled India to fight back on the second day of the second Test against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on Tuesday. Thakur took seven for 61 – the best figures by an Indian bowler in a Test against South Africa – as the hosts were bowled out for 229, a first innings lead of 27. (ANI photo)
India scored 85 for two, taking an aggregate lead of 58 runs, to end the day in a draw and with one match remaining to keep their hopes of securing a series win alive. (AFP photo)
South Africa put themselves in a strong position on the first day after bowling India out for 202 for the loss of one wicket half an hour before lunch. (AFP photo)
Thakur bowled at a fast medium pace on a reactive pitch, breaking only two South Africa partnerships. He dismissed Dean Elgar (28) and Keegan Pietersen (62) as the pair put on 74 runs for the second wicket. He then caught Rassie van der Dussen behind for one, although replays shown during the lunch break suggest that wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant may have picked up the ball. (AP photo)
Temba Bavuma (51) and Kyle Verene (21) put on 60 runs for the sixth wicket before Thakur took a leg before Verene wicket and Bavuma was caught by Pant from the leg-side. Thakur then ended some tail-end resistance by taking the last two wickets in successive deliveries. (Reuters Photo)
Thakur, 30, played a relatively minor supporting role in India’s 113-run win in the first Test at Centurion, but faced the challenge of additional responsibility due to an injury to Mohammad Siraj. (AFP photo)
Siraj was off the field shortly before Monday’s closure, grabbing his right hamstring. He returned to action on Tuesday but bowled only six overs in the day and looked less than his best. (AFP photo)
Thakur’s best performance in the last five Tests was four for 61, when injury to the Indian players saw him play a key role in the series-winning win against Australia in Brisbane last January. He took a total of seven wickets in the match and also scored 67 runs in the first innings. (Reuters Photo)
In the second innings, the Indian batsmen came out with aggressive intent, but left-arm pacer Marco Jensen caught stand-in captain KL Rahul at third slip for eight on the fifth ball of the innings when he came into the second innings. (AP photo)
Mayank Agarwal pads Duane Olivier and it was leg before wicket after scoring 23 runs. Cheteshwar Pujara (35 not out) and Ajinkya Rahane (11 not out), both under pressure due to recent lack of form, added 41 unbeaten runs before close. (AP photo)
Thankful dinesh girl
He once again spoke about his childhood coach Dinesh Lad’s contribution to his development as a player. Shardul had stayed at Lad Niwas during his school days as it was difficult to travel every day from Palghar to Borivali.
“Yes, of course he (Dinesh Lad) had a great influence in my cricket career and he is the second parent to me. He saw me when no one else did and he offered me admission in school (Swami) Vivekananda International) in Borivali and since then my life has changed,” said Shardul of his coach Dinesh Lad.
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