Shardul Thakur is yet to make his international debut. (Source: PTI)
He may not have got a chance to represent India at the international stage but fast bowler Shardul Thakur is all set to perform whenever the chance comes his way. The right-arm pacer has been working hard and has been preparing for his debut game, Thakur said. Part of the India squad for hte Sri Lanka one-day internationals, Thakur is eagerly waiting for the day he is handed his debut game.
“Over the past few years I have been working hard. Whenever I get a chance to play I should be ready. Keeping that in mind I always prepare for the game. Whether they play me or not that’s the management’s role. But if you ask me personally I just have to be ready for the game whenever I get the opportunity and I prepare accordingly,” Thakur said.
India have already clinched the one-day international series and Virat Kohli had said that since the series was in the big, the team will look to rotate some players in the plying XI. Thakur was first called up in 2016 for the West Indies tour but has been warming the bench since, majorly focusing on working with bowling coach Bharat Arun.
“When I first met him it was the Under-19 camp at the NCA. It was more of a technical camp where players perform when you go to the academy, work on your technique and get better. It’s only my first assignment with him in the (Indian) team and so far it’s been good. It’s more of match-oriented things (that I discuss with him),” said Thakur.
“I feel whenever you move one level up – from domestic you go on to play IPL and from IPL you get selected to international cricket – the skill is always there. But you have got to prepare really well mentally because in international cricket the pressure is different and the pressure is different in domestic cricket,” he added.
Thakur has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit and was impressive last season as well. He then played the IPL but Thakur says adjusting to different formats of the game is not a big deal.
“It’s not that difficult (to change formats) if you have practiced enough. It’s just recollecting whatever you have practiced. In white-ball cricket, you’ll need to use a lot of variations when needed whereas in red-ball cricket you just stick to your plans again and again.
“I feel, if you have the skills, you can play in any format of the game. It’s just about your preparations and how you cope up with the different challenges of Test cricket, ODI cricket, and T20Is. If you ask me, you have to evolve every time there is a change in the format,” he said.
Thakur also shared his experiences of playing with MS Dhoni who will play his 300th ODI on Thursday.
“I have always asked about his experiences. He always gave me his piece of mind when I asked him. Obviously, he’s the wicketkeeper of the team so he has seen a lot of bowlers bowling from theother end, and very closely, like what do they do in a particular situation.
“Playing with him in the IPL was a great boost because in the match itself, I learnt a lot from him like when to use cross-seam deliveries and when to bowl seam-ups. So whenever I have felt like finding out things about a particular situation, I have gone to him,” Thakur signed off.
