Shardul shared that he had also gone through a similar situation and spoke about how a player should battle it out.
Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur has recently opened up on star spinner Kuldeep Yadav and opener Abhimanyu Easwaran‘s snub in the recently concluded England vs India Test series. The 33-year-old, who featured in two of the five fixtures of the series, shared that he had also gone through a similar situation and spoke about how a player should battle it out.
“I was also in the same boat, being out and not getting enough games to show my potential. So as a player, you go through a lot of emotions, and it’s not easy to sit out. At some point, you’ll feel bored and start questioning, ‘What am I doing here? I’m not getting a game,” he said in a RevSportz interview.
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Besides the playing condition and team combination scenarios, the player also discussed how a rich pool of talent and options in the Indian setup also makes it tough for the players to get regular chances in the playing XI. However, he also backed the management’s decision as they always look to play the best possible XI from the entire squad.
“Unfortunately or fortunately, the competition is so high in India. There are so many players, and only 11 of them play at the end of the day. So we need to understand that probably this is the best 11 that management is looking at and you’ll have to repeatedly tell your mind this was not my game, that’s why I was not selected. Probably according to the pitch conditions or whatever atmospheric conditions, this is the best 11 that we could field for the day and I’m just not part of it,” added the all-rounder.
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Previously, various former players, commentators and experts had voiced for Kuldeep’s inclusion in India’s playing XI, even before the beginning of the series. But eventually, the ace spinner returned from the long tour of England without making a single appearance in the five-match series. Notably, Easwaran’s father had also expressed his displeasure over his son’s continuous wait for making his red-ball debut.
Since his maiden India call-up in 2021, several other players have made their debut for India in this format. However, he had also mentioned that Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has assured the player of soon getting a chance to represent the country in Tests. Though the current India openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, seem to have cemented their place after a stellar outing in the latest overseas series.
“Gambhir told him, ‘You’re doing the right things. You’ll get your turn and a long run. I’m not the one to push you out after one or two matches.’ The entire coaching team assured him he’ll get his due,” he stated in a YouTube video.
The all-rounder played in the series opener in Leeds but showcased an average performance with just five runs and two wickets at an expensive economy of 5.56. However, he still made a comeback in India’s XI in Manchester due to a brilliant batting show from another all-rounder Washington Sundar. Moreover, India also missed two of their key pacers, Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep Singh, in the fourth fixture.
But Shardul once again failed to strike the England batting lineup in his comeback match of the tour. Though the player put up 41 runs in the first innings, he went wicketless as England piled up a huge 669 in the penultimate match of the series. On the other hand, Sundar had already contributed crucial 52 runs in India’s massive win at Edgbaston in the second clash. He went on to notch up a total of 284 runs in four matches of the series, including a match-saving 101* at Old Trafford, and also scalped seven wickets.
