All-rounder Shardul Thakur made a strong case for his inclusion in the playing XI for the first Test against England as he slammed an unbeaten 122 while playing for India A in the intra-squad match against India. His knock came against an attack comprising Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh.
Earlier, Shardul impressed one and all with the ball in hand as well while bowling for India A as he troubled the likes of KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Karun Nair. Earlier, Sarfaraz Khan had played a 76-ball knock of 101 runs on Day 2 with the help of 15 fours and two sixes.
Shardul was unbeaten at the crease at Stumps on Day 2. He came out to bat on Day 3 and scored his century. The management now has a real headache regarding who to select between Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul.
Shardul was not named in the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, while Nitish Kumar Reddy played all five Tests. The latter also scored a century in the Melbourne Test. However, his returns with the ball left much to be desired.
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Shardul has a knack for taking wickets against the tide and is rated highly as a man with a golden arm. Whether he gets a go in the playing XI for the Headingley Test remains to be seen.
Shardul earned a call-up into the India squad for the series against England on the back of a strong domestic season for Mumbai where he emerged as the stand-out performer in the Ranji Trophy.
The all-rounder last played a Test for India in December 2023 against South Africa in Centurion. He has thus far played 11 Tests, scoring 331 runs and taking 31 wickets.
Intra-squad match comes to an end
The intra-squad match between India and India A was called off by the management midway through Day 3. The game was supposed to last until Monday, June 16. However, the management called the match off after two and a half days. Almost eight sessions were played out.
For India, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill impressed with the bat. The duo scored half-centuries to help India post 469 runs on the board.
For India A, Sarfaraz was the standout performer, scoring 101 runs off 76 balls. However, he has not been named in the main squad for the series against England.
On Day 2, Jasprit Bumrah had gone wicketless while Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna returned with two wickets each. Nitish Kumar Reddy also scalped one.
The Indian team will now leave for Headingley on Tuesday, June 17. The first Test will begin on June 20 in Headingley, Leeds.
