Shardul Thakur played one of his most crucial cricket for team India last year in England and he has since earned himself the moniker 'Lord' after his spectacular performances against the Three Lions. As India gear up to face off England once again in the rescheduled fifth Test match in Edgbaston, Thakur has opened up on how he got to be known as 'Lord Shardul Thakur'.
The Indian all-rounder gave a good account of himself with both the bat and the ball in English conditions and will be key in the Edgbaston Test once again which begins on July 1, Friday.
Ahead of the final showdown between India and England in Tests, Thakur, in a video shared by BCCI, revealed how he got his nicknames 'Lord' and 'Beefy' while also talking about how he loves to play cricket in England.
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"England is a bowler’s paradise. The ball swings here and at a time you can get a lot of wickets in one spell. So yeah, England is one of my favourite places to play cricket," the 30-year-old said.
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He continued, "I am fine with any name (laughs). The name Bull is what they have been calling me since my Ranji Trophy days. I am fine with any nickname that my teammates give me. Lord and Beefy just got famous after my performances against England. It shows how much my teammates love me. It’s good to hear, sounds good when it falls on my ears."
While Shardul Thakur knows that he's likely to be the third or fourth choice pacer against the Three Lions, he nonetheless cherishes his role, and simply wants to leave an impact with his performances.
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"The pace attack that we have, everyone is doing well, including Shami, Bumrah, and Umesh whenever he gets a game. Sometimes these bowlers get 2-3 wickets in their first spell and then I come a bit later in the game when they need rest. But I have started to like that role and it’s my duty, as I know if I deliver a performance at that stage then it creates an impact in the match," he added further.
With regular skipper Rohit Sharma infected with Covid-19, Jasprit Bumrah is likely to lead India in the Edgbaston Test.
On the other hand, Ben Stokes-led England have already announced their playing XI for the contest, with Jimmy Anderson getting the nod ahead of Jamie Overton.
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Here's how England will line up against India:
England XI: Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Sam Billings (wicketkeeper), Matthew Potts, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, James Anderson.
