The competition for the pacer’s slot in the Indian team gets stiffer after every IPL season. So some proficiency with the bat could come in handy. Shardul Thakur seems to be well aware of that.
The man who became part of cricketing folklore with an exceptional half-century in India’s stunning victory in the Brisbane Test early last year showed yet again his utility in the lower middle-order in the first ODI against South Africa at Lucknow. He had also claimed two wickets and emerged the most economical bowler among the Indians.
