Ind vs Aus: ‘I knew that was coming,’ Sundar on Thakur’s six to get to fifty
India vs Australia: Shardul Thakur danced down the wicket to Nathan Lyon and dispatched the off-spinner over the ropes.
If getting three wickets in just his second Test wasn’t memorable enough, Shardul Thakur made the occasion even sweeter by scoring a maiden Test fifty to keep India alive in the fourth Test against Australia in Brisbane. Thakur blasted nine fours and two sixes, the first one getting him off the mark while the second brought him a half-century. He danced down the wicket to Nathan Lyon and dispatched the off-spinner over the ropes.
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His partner at the non-striker’s end, Washington Sundar, with whom Thakur staged one of the grittiest partnerships in recent memory, spoke about the stroke, revealing he had a strong hunch that Thakur will target Lyon for the maximum.
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"I knew that was coming to be honest. He was trying for a six against Lyon for some time and I knew that was coming. He was also very eager to get to his half-century and I definitely knew it was on the cards," Sundar told R Ashwin in a video uploaded by the BCCI.
Ashwin turned to Thakur and asked him about the pick up shot off Pat Cummins, that went for six. "At that time, I did not look to hit six, it was more of a reaction. I saw the ball and played that shot instinctively and it came out well for me," he said.
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Ashwin then asked him about the "Vivian Richards-type cover drives", to which Thakur responded by saying: "I have not really practiced those. It was one of those days where I was batting really well and did not want to miss any opportunity. Any loose ball and I just felt like putting it away."
Thakur played some lovely strokes during his innings of 67 off 115 balls. He drove down the ground with authority, taking a special liking to Mitchell Starc. He struck two fours off him the first over after lunch, a textbook drive down the ground and an aerial square cut before hammering a spanking backfoot cover drive that made jaws drop.