Ahead of the rescheduled fifth and final Test between India and England beginning on Friday, Shardul Thakur said he cherishes his role in the Indian Test side. The all-rounder expressed that he can create more impact if he delivers consistently when the main bowlers of the team are on a break.
“In our pace bowling attack at the moment, everyone is doing well including Shami, Bumrah, and Umesh. They start with the new ball, and a lot of times it happens that they take two or three wickets in the first spell and I get the opportunity to bowl later,” Thakur, said in a video posted by BCCI.
Thakur, the right-arm pacer, said that he loves to deliver in difficult situations and considers it a perfect time to make a mark.
"Opportunity is created when there is a partnership and the main bowlers have to be given rest and the third and fourth bowlers are used more in the spell. At that moment, there is an opportunity for me to take a wicket and do something for the team. I think it is my job to bowl in those situations and I like it because if I deliver with a good performance it creates an impact in the game,” he added.
The 30-year-old remarked that England happens to be one of his favourite places to bowl.
“I think England is a bowler's paradise, they say because the ball swings a lot and at times you end up taking a lot of wickets in one spell itself. So I think England is one of my favourite places to play cricket and to bowl as well. (In) England there is a lot of lateral movement and of the pitch moment, it is up to you how to you want to make use of that,” he added.
Thakur had played an important role in the team's 157-run win over England in the fourth test at Oval. In the first innings, he smashed 57 off 36 deliveries, which helped India to score 191. In the second innings, Shardul scored 60 runs.
Recalling his performance, Shardul said, “It was an important innings. Like I said before England could have got a big lead, but that got cut down and because of that we could stage a comeback in the third and the fourth innings."
The fifth match of the five-match Test series in which India is leading by 2-1 was postponed owing to the Covid-19 outbreak.
(Inputs from PTI)
