He’s done it against Australia and South Africa, in their own backyards, and also proved to be decisive against a wobbly England, and this is just at the start of his international career. Shardul Thakur, one of the latest entrants into the Test side of Indian men’s cricket, has very much lived up to the title of ‘Lord’ that his fans have anointed him with, and isn’t in the mood to slow down either.
Hard work and fighting the odds have been among the standout themes in Shardul’s career, right from the initial days up until the South Africa tour, where he answered his critics in emphatic fashion - a record seven-wicket haul as India fought back after an unimpressive first innings with the bat, set up a keenly contested Test at Johannesburg.
Shardul, remember, is yet to play a Test in India, his debut was one he’d like to forget as injury forced him off the field very early on. However, like he has shown already, the Palghar man isn’t averse to hard work, after all lugging your kitbag in the busy Mumbai local trains isn’t the easiest thing for a youngster.
The Early Years
Not the fittest in his initial years, Shardul was part of the Mumbai squad that won the Ranji Trophy in 2012/13 but he wasn’t a big contributor in the campaign and was asked to get in shape by his teammates.
The 1991-born all-rounder worked his socks off, got leaner and meaner, and then as the cliché goes, there was no looking back. 74 wickets in the next two seasons meant Shardul Thakur was a name that could not be ignored, and a call up to the India A set up was his reward for going back to the drawing board and starting on a clean slate.
But that wasn’t his first tryst with hurdles in his career!
Once spotted by coach Dinesh Lad, the main worry for Shardul Thakur and his father would be dealing with the time and effort of playing cricket seriously, at a time when the class ten exams were knocking on the door.
"I saw him playing in 2006 in Mumbai against our school team, Swami Vivekanand International School. Playing for Tarapur Vidya Mandir, Shardul scored 78 runs and also picked five wickets. Impressed by his performance, I asked him to join my school. I asked him to tell his parents to contact him. I told his father that Shardul had a lot of talent and could play top level cricket," Lad was quoted as saying by IANS.
"However, his father declined, saying Shardul had (class X) board exams and also the journey from Palghar to Mumbai was more than two-and-a-half hours, which was very difficult. Then I talked to my wife and asked her if we could keep a boy at our home so that he can play here in Mumbai. My wife agreed and we bought him home," he added.
Till then, Thakur used to travel by train from Palghar to Swami Vivekanand International School, and that was taking a lot of time.
"During school cricket, Shardul smashed six consecutive sixes and made a name for himself. He then got selected for the under-15 Mumbai team and there was no looking back," Lad said.
The early highs, accolades and determination would hold him in good stead later on as he survived a small trough in the initial years in the IPL as he would play only one in the first three seasons in the glitzy tournament.
From Punjab, to Pune and then finally to Chennai under captain MS Dhoni – Shardul’s early years in the IPL were difficult but also played a massive role in his development as a player.
“I did no specific work with him, but (I worked) on his mental strength. I remember when he was taken for the IPL, and he didn’t play for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), he would be frustrated and say ‘they don’t play me’. I used to tell him it’s okay, they have selected you and it is important for you to practise with bigger players," Lad was quoted as saying by PTI.
The Turning Point
For the young man from Palghar, who’s Test debut lasted all of 10 deliveries before injury forced him off in 2018, one of the most important points in his career was the 2019 IPL final. In the Chennai Super Kings colours, Shardul was on strike when CSK needed 2 runs from the last ball. Shardul missed a yorker from Lasith Malinga and got out LBW which led to Mumbai Indians winning the title by a run.
Shardul was distraught and once again he went back to the drawing board. And the advice his childhood coach had reiterated on many an occasion.
CSK and Shardul had a bad year out in 2020 in the IPL but from then on in, things changed for the all-rounder.
Shardul Thakur after Day 2 of the SA Test.
Image: IANS
Cue 2021!
Once 2021 rolled on and Shardul was back from having worked things out the way he’d want, and the year would also set out the red carpet for him.
From blunting the mighty Australians at the Gabba and helping seal a historic series win, and that too with India backed well into a corner. After the success of Australia and the first phase of the IPL, Shardul’s hard working nature would see him stun the English at The Oval, where he scored half-centuries in both innings and then accounted for Joe Root in the second innings, setting up a comprehensive win for India.
The Guardian wrote, "The journeyman bowler who bats transformed himself into Kapil Dev, repeatedly delivering a considered counter-attack with bat and ball that permitted not a shred of self-doubt. Though his bowling might be specifically suited to English conditions, he made the absolute most of his talents."
And if the performances in red-ball cricket wasn’t enough, he’d go on to fix the IPL final memories with CSK as they won another title under captain MS Dhoni.
The all-rounder wrapped up the year with a mesmerising bowling show in South Africa in the second Test, putting to rest the questions around his selection previously.
Shardul had well and truly taken the bad with the good in his stride, and the expectations became a regular feature in his relationship with the game and the fans.
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