Shardul Thakur proved to be India’s most astonishing batsman as his blitzkrieg, in the end, came to the deliverance of the visitors in the face of an impending cataclysm.
As Rahane departed, Thakur walked out to bat with India wobbling at 117 for 6. Not long after, Pant departed too making life a living hell for the Indian batters.
Shardul Thakur at his brightest
He had Umesh Yadav taking stands at the other end and that flagged the end of any significant resistance from India which could have come from the batters.
Thakur had no intentions of waiting as he started going after the English bowlers with an attacking brand of cricket of his very own.
The exotic brand of aggression that Australia faced from Thakur was bettered, and the fast-bowler played a few exquisite strokes of his own to reach his own half-century.
He belted out a 35-ball-57 before Chris Woakes got the better of him. He hammered 5 fours and 3 sixes before England finally managed their way through his defences.
The record that was broken by Thakur
Thakur racked up an incredible milestone as he became the fastest player to score a half-century in Test cricket in England, breaking the previous one held by Ian Botham.
The last record was forged by English all-rounder, Ian Botham, who took 32 balls to complete his half-century at the Oval itself. Thakur claimed the feat in a paltry 31 balls as he wreaked absolute havoc against the English bowlers.
It was based on his knock that India managed to reach 191 runs despite wobbling at 117 for 6 when he walked out to bat. Twitter erupted as Thakur pulled off the impossible feat, making him a crucial part of India’s batting line-up in these tough times.
Joe Root's reaction at the moment – seeing Shardul Thakur's hitting bounderies. pic.twitter.com/AgKAplZjHZ
— CricketMAN2 (@man4_cricket) September 2, 2021
If Shardul Thakur's batting today had a face: pic.twitter.com/M6iEPDaYZP
— Manya (@CSKian716) September 2, 2021
Let's frame Shardul Thakur's perfect straight drive. pic.twitter.com/Xq2ApCOfbQ
— Aumbeti Roydo (@aumbetiroydo) September 2, 2021
Lord Thakur this innings: #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/cL7NV6Wyzq
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) September 2, 2021
Respect for Malinga increased after watching Shardul Thakur's masterclass 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/GHoTrBMY5y
— Golden Snitch (@mustafahaji__) September 2, 2021
Fifties of Thakur in Test Cricket:
India – 185/6 and he scored 67(115) in Gabba.
India – 117/6 and he scored 57(36) in Oval. pic.twitter.com/HaKI4USZFY— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 2, 2021
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Wowwwwww
Batting is definitely not as easy as Shardul Thakur is making it ought to be
AdvertisementWell played @imShard #lordthakur pic.twitter.com/x2VHQycLXh
— DK (@DineshKarthik) September 2, 2021
Fastest Test fifty in England. Ever. Ever. #Lord #Shardul #EngvInd
— Wear a Mask. Stay Safe, India (@cricketaakash) September 2, 2021
Highest SR in a Test Inning for India
(50+ Scores)161.81 – Kapil Dev
158.34 – Shardul Thakur*
145.95 – Harbhajan Singh
141.55 – M Azharuddin#INDvENG— CricBeat (@Cric_beat) September 2, 2021
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Fastest Test fifty in England:
31 Balls – Thakur
32 Balls – BothamAdvertisement— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) September 2, 2021