[ad_1]
Shardul Thakur’s seven-wicket haul in Johannesburg was a moment he silenced several critics who felt he was surplus to India’s Test requirements. A clutch moment in that epic spell was him setting up Dean Elgar, the South African skipper who just wouldn’t get out in the series.
While Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami tried to get the better of Elgar in the first innings in Johannesburg, the left-handed opener resisted, playing out over a 100 balls for 28 runs.
Just as his batting was starting to the annoy the Indians again, Shardul Thakur struck the crucial blow, the first of his seven victims in the Test match.
“Dean’s technique is different compared to others,” Shardul said. “Even if a bowler beats him, he is not fazed. The only thing I felt is that he doesn’t want to get out. When does a batsman get out? When he tries to play, it’s the only time when he commits a mistake. So, I was trying to make him play as much as possible.”
Shardul was brilliant to Elgar, almost seaming it away like an off-spinner. That one run on the off-side was a false shot.
But if anything, this shows how good Elgar was. Played inside the line to Shardul and worked it around his pads when it came on his legs
???? BCCI#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/5qj2b6fvbG
— Rohit Sankar (@imRohit_SN) January 5, 2022
Shami and Bumrah had indeed bowled well, but what they did not do was attack Elgar’s stumps and make him play more often. Street smart with his thinking, Shardul figured the best chance he had against Elgar was to simply make him play more. It worked !
Also Read: IPL 2022 Auction: Uncapped Indian players who can start a bidding war
How Shardul Thakur outsmarted Dean Elgar
“(Mohammed) Shami and (Jasprit) Bumrah bowled outstandingly, but luck wasn’t with them. I told myself luck is on his (Elgar’s) side today as most of the balls are beating his edge, so why not try to bowl as many balls that he should play. I was hoping that he would make a mistake. When a batsman keeps on playing, there is a chance that he will go for a ball which is on the fourth or fifth stump line. And it happened, and he got out.”
[ad_2]
Source link
