'I am fine with any name. People call me Lord and Beefy because...': Shardul's hilarious response to his nicknames
In the fourth Test at the Oval, Shardul shone with the willow to hit a 36-ball 57, which helped India to score 191. In the second innings, he bettered his score with the bat, scoring a 72-ball 60.
All-rounder Shardul Thakur belongs to a rare breed of players who can turn the game on its head, irrespective of the format or conditions. He will be donning the fourth pacer's hat when India takes on England for the fifth and final Test at Edgbaston, beginning Friday (July 1). (Also Read | ‘Only time will tell how big a loss Rohit Sharma’s absence could be for India': England's Dawid Malan ahead 5th Test)
Shardul chips in with a couple of wickets to make his presence felt in the star-studded bowling set-up and adds runs with the bat as well. He loves to thrive under pressure as Shardul will be looking to rise in England – a place that remains one of his favourite destinations to bowl.
In the fourth Test at the Oval, Shardul shone with the willow to hit a 36-ball 57, which helped India to score 191. In the second innings, he bettered his score with the bat, scoring a 72-ball 60. He also picked two crucial wickets, including that of Joe Root in the second innings which led to England's batting collapse.
“Our pace bowling attack at the moment, everyone is doing well including (Mohammed) Shami, (Jasprit) Bumrah, Umesh (Yadav) whenever he gets a game. Ishant (Sharma) was there and usually they start with the new ball and a lot of times it happens that they take two-three wickets in the first spell and I get opportunity to bowl later," said the Palghar-based player in a video shared by the BCCI.
“I think England is a bowler's paradise, they say because the ball swings a lot and at times you end up taking a lot of wickets in one spell itself. So I think England is one of my favourite places to play cricket and to bowl as well."
Shardul also opened up about his nicknames and revealed he was called 'Bull' during his formative years. He is currently addressed as 'Lord' and 'Beefy' – the names he got from India teammates following his performances in England.
"I am fine with any name (laughs). The name Bull is what they have been calling me since my Ranji Trophy days. People call me Lord and Beefy because of my performances against England. It shows how much my teammates love me. It's good to hear, sounds good when it falls on my ears," said Shardul.
Shardul recalled his performances in the previous Test and said how the all-round performance helps in motivating teammates. The was also India's first win at the Oval in 50 years.
"It was an important inning. Like I said before England could have got a big lead, but that got cut down and because of that we could stage a comeback in the third and the fourth innings."
“When you play such an innings, it motivates the teammates that we have got a good opportunity to make a comeback into the game. The good performance of the teammates, it will reflect when you are bowling, it will also reflect in your fielding," said Shardul.