Best is yet to come: Shardul Thakur after registering career-best figures on Day 2 in Johannesburg

Tags: India tour of South Africa 2021-22, India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test at Mumbai, Dec 03-07, 2021, India, South Africa, Shardul Narendra Thakur

Published on: Jan 05, 2022

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Indian pacer Shardul Thakur may have claimed his best Test bowling figures of 7 for 61 on Day 2 of the Johannesburg Test against South Africa. However, Thakur feels that his best is yet to come. The 30-year-old was the wrecker-in-chief as India restricted the Proteas to 229. His heroics ensured that South Africa’s first-innings lead was restricted to 27. India ended Day 2 on 85 for 2, having gained a lead of 58 runs.

While he registered his Test best figures, Thakur replied when asked about whether this was his best performance, "It is my best figure, but the best is always yet to come, I would say."

The pacer added that he did not try to do anything extraordinary put pitch the ball on the spot where there was a crack. He explained about his bowling performance, "When I started bowling, there was a length somewhere in those 22-yards from where the ball was kicking in (off) and also was staying low a bit. So all I did was to try to hit that spot and hit that crack.”

Thakur also said that pitches for both the Tests so far have provided assistance and that has helped his cause. The Mumbai cricketer added, "See both the venues, even when we played in Centurion and here in Joburg (Johannesburg) at the Wanderers, there is and there was some help in the pitch, so all you had to do is keep coming hard at the batsman and bowl in the right spots, I was trying to do the same.”

While India seem to have the upper hand heading into Day 3 of the Johannesburg Test, Thakur feels the match situation remains tricky. He reckoned, "The current match-situation, if you see it's tricky. The lead that we take from here and the bigger the target we set that is good, because as the game progresses and we all know that last two days, it is not that easy to bat on the pitch.

"So, from our team's point of view, the bigger target we set, and take the game long, that is good, because there is a lot of time left in the game," the bowling all-rounder continued.

India will resume their second innings on Wednesday with Cheteshwar Pujara unbeaten on 35 and Ajinkya Rahane on 11.

--By A Cricket Correspondent

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