We could have done better with the ball, says Shardul

Shardul Thakur admits India’s bowling lacked patience early on Day 2, allowing England to dominate. He also called for fair concussion substitution rules after the ongoing WTC cycle.

Hyderabad: Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur admitted that the team’s bowling unit gave away too many runs in the first 10 to 12 overs of the second day, allowing England to reach 225 for two in response to India’s 358 in the ongoing fourth Test at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Speaking at the end of the day’s play, Shardul said, “The ball was doing a lot more in the morning today compared to yesterday. And I felt we batted well in the morning, whatever runs we could get. With the ball, I think in the first 10–12 overs, there were a lot of runs being scored.”

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He added that although the team tried to pull things back, runs continued to flow. “We know a lot of times when the sun is out here, the runs are being scored at a good rate. And when the conditions are overcast, the ball does a lot. And then it just becomes difficult to score,” he said.

Shardul, who chipped in with a handy 41, reflected on the missed opportunities with the new ball. “We could have been better. And after that, yes, we were trying to hold it back but runs kept flowing. It wasn’t difficult for bowlers, I would say. We could have had much more patience in terms of bowling the channel, which we didn’t.”

The all-rounder also assessed the bowling performance as a mix of good and erratic spells. “There are two sides of the coin — there were a few deliveries that we bowled really well, and a few that just went for boundaries. We have to evaluate which deliveries to stick with and keep repeating them tomorrow.”

Speaking on the issue of concussion substitutions, Shardul said that while the ICC is discussing the matter, any changes should come into effect after the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. “Otherwise, it would be unfair to teams that have suffered because of it.”

Recalling a past incident, he said, “If we talk about the first match, he said that there was no chance of bowling. I said okay. Usually, the captain takes the calls. The player doesn’t have much of a say.”

He also acknowledged the challenge of finding rhythm in such situations. “It could have been two more overs, but there is a lot of time left in the game. There are three days left. It is always difficult to find your rhythm. You don’t know how much bowling you will get and when you will get it. But whatever experience you have, you will try to use that experience to bowl,” he added.