India lost the first Test against England by 5 wickets in Leeds. Shardul Thakur didn’t have a great outing, managing just five runs in two innings and only taking two wickets. He bowled a mere 16 overs, which suggested that captain Shubman Gill might not have trusted him much on the flat pitch at Headingley.
Ajinkya Rahane, who’s been out of the picture, stressed the need for an all-rounder like Shardul in the lineup and encouraged Gill to give him more freedom to play his game. “An all-rounder is key,” Rahane said on his YouTube channel. “Shardul has experience and has done well in Test matches overseas. I’d love to see him bowl more. If the team can use him better, it would make a big difference. He can swing the ball both ways and takes wickets. If he bowls first change or gets the new ball, he could really do well.”
Rahane noted that the Dukes ball usually starts to react after about 10 to 12 overs, so it could be beneficial to let Shardul start alongside Bumrah, with Siraj coming in later. He wants Shardul to be given the chance to bowl more.
He had good things to say about Bumrah’s performance too, praising his five wickets in the first innings and his intensity on the field. “Bumrah’s run-up and his commitment throughout his bowling were impressive. What I hope to see is support from the others. Bumrah can’t carry all the weight himself. It would be great if Siraj and Prasidh could step up, especially to take some pressure off him,” Rahane added.