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'I thought it's time to bowl a bouncer,' Shardul Thakur recalls wicket that changed the game at Gabba
India pacer Shardul Thakur revealed story behind the wicket that he believes started turning the game in India's favour at the Gabba in Melbourne.
On Day 4 of the Brisbane Test, Australia openers Marcus Harris and David Warner got off to a solid start. The hosts wanted to put on a huge total in front of India to chase and with rain expected to play a role in the final two days (though, the clouds stayed away on the final day), Warner and Harris were scoring runs at a quick pace.
India needed to get wickets or the game could have slipped out of their hands. Playing his 2nd Test, seamer Shardul Thakur stepped up to get rid of Harris for 38. The dismissal opened up the gateways and soon the hosts were reeling at 123/4 before Steve Smith settled down things.
Still, India were able to bundle out the Aussies for 294, thus setting themselves a target of 328, which they chased down on the final day to script a historic win.
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Speaking to Sports Today, Shardul revealed the story behind Harris' wicket that he believes started turning the game in India's favour.
"We were expecting them to come hard at us and they did so. They got a really good start. The day ended with six overs and next day we came in fresh. Even then they started hitting, so their plan was clear -- to score runs quickly and set up big target," he said.
"But at that point of time as bowler I felt that if I take a wicket here, may be, the new batsman would not score at the same rate. The whole idea was to get that one ball and get anyone of them out. If I remember my spell I had bowled many good length deliveries to Marcus Harris, may be I thought it's time to bowl him a bouncer," the fast bowler added.
"I tried and ge got out. After that our bowlers got hopeful, they got energetic and excited and the game started changing a bit again," Thakur further said.
Thakur registered figures of 4/61 in the innings, and emerged as one of the many unexpected heroes of India's Gabba win.
