His presence may go unnoticed but his absence is definitely felt. With yet another Test tour to Australia approaching, many fans were wondering about Shardul Thakur’s whereabouts.
The all-rounder himself had been quietly working on his recovery and rehabilitation after having yet another surgery on his right ankle in June.
Having spent a better part of the last three months at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, Thakur is keen to go through the rigours of a five-day game and pace himself for what he hopes to be an arduous season of First Class cricket across continents.
“It will be my first competitive game, not to take anything away from the league game (in the KSCA Trophy) I played. But that was more of an RTP (Return to Play) for me,” Thakur said after a gruelling net session here ahead of the Irani Cup tie under the scorching sun.
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“I was just gauging how my ankle is behaving post-surgery in a game where I have to field for 90 overs, stand six hours a day in the field and I was just trying to get that feel of standings on the ground for long hours and when I play this (Irani Cup) game, I will be more confident of understanding my body better.”
Staking a claim for being considered as the pace-bowling all-rounder is definitely on his wishlist by proving his fitness and hitting his peak in the next four weeks. “At times, I have done well at No. 8. Batted well in pressure situations, I have bowled well as well…taken crucial wickets for the team,” he said.
“I am really looking forward to the upcoming tour of Australia. But yes, right now the focus is on the Irani Cup game and the first few Ranji games as well.
“Subconsciously, yes…the Australia tour is also on my mind. It is one place where conditions are challenging, and the crowd is always involved in the game. It is a tour that a player would like to look forward to,” said Thakur.
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