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Shardul Thakur feels India can win the Test series against England despite playing under new skipper Shubman Gill.
Shardul Thakur bowling in England during India intra-squad game (X/BCCI)
India all-rounder Shardul Thakur believes that the Indian team has the potential to win the upcoming five-match Test series against England, starting in Leeds on Friday.
Shardul was part of India’s squad that toured England in 2021-22. India were leading 2-1 in the five-Test series before the final Test was rescheduled to the following year due to Covid-19. India lost the final Test, in the absence of regular captain Rohit Sharma, allowing England to level the series 2-2.
With Rohit and Virat Kohli stepping away from red-ball cricket, the young Indian squad, led by new skipper Shubman Gill, faces a tough challenge in English conditions.
“I think it’s very exciting to play in this part of the world where you face different challenges. The first challenge is the weather. Sometimes it’s cloudy, sometimes it’s bright sunny, and as a player, you need to adjust your game, whether you’re batting or bowling,” the pace-bowling all-rounder said in a video posted on BCCI’s social media accounts.
“It’s good to have fresh energy in the team. New youngsters are coming in and new talents are always exciting. The England team is also playing a different kind of cricket, so we like to surprise them also. We are here to put on a show. It is also great to win an away series, away from the home and if we could achieve this feat, it would be massive for the entire nation,” he added.
Recalling India’s last Test tour of England, Shardul said it was “one of the fondest memories” of his career. He played in three Tests of the series, taking eight wickets and scoring two half-centuries in the fourth Test.
“In the 2021 series, we won a couple of games. We could have won the first one, but unfortunately, it rained on the last day, and we couldn’t chase the total. But then we won at Lord’s and The Oval before returning for the fifth Test next year. The series ended level, but it was one of the best Test series, one of the fondest I have been part of,” he recalled.
India aims to win a Test series in England for the first time since 2007. The five-match Test series will be India’s first assignment in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.
(With inputs from IANS)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket, having cov…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket, having cov… Read More
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