Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir explained the rationale behind Shardul Thakur being picked in the playing XI despite not being used fully. Captain Shubman Gill’s tactics came under fire after the all-rounder was used for just six overs in the 1st innings while the rest of the bowlers bowled over 20 overs. Thakur returned to the Test side after a gap of nearly one-and-a-half years, having last played against South Africa in December 2023.
Why did Gill not use Thakur completely?
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Gambhir claimed that it was Gill’s insticts on the field which led him to take calls related to Shardul. Defending the all-rounder, the head coach pointed out that the team knew about his quality and as to why he was a part of the Test setup again. Gambhir reiterated that Gill’s decisions on underutilizing Thakur was based on conditions and insticts.
“First of all, he wasn’t brought in as a specialist bowler but as a bowling all-rounder. Sometimes, the captain goes with his instincts,” Gambhir said.
Thakur did not manage to taste success in ENG vs IND 1st Test – either with ball or bat. In the 1st innings, he bowled only six overs and recorded figures of 0/38. With the bat, he only managed to score one run when he came out at number 8.
In the 2nd innings, Shardul was once again underutilized with the ball. He bowled just ten overs but managed to get 2 wickets while conceding 51 runs. With the bat, he scored 4 runs before he was sent packing by Tongue.
“Shardul was used a little less, but the reason was probably that Jadeja bowled really well, so we thought that he will give us control. Shardul got us two important wickets. So I’m not going to sit here and say that this guy didn’t bowl well or that guy bowled well. Shardul gave us two important wickets, which got us back in the game. I think we just got to be more consistent,” Gambhir added.
The all-rounder’s underutilization had some experts wondering why he was picked in the first place if captain Gill and the team management did not trust him.
