Shardul Thakur did what proper batters could not, it seemed he was batting in nets: Inzamam-ul-Haq

Former Pakistan player Inzamam-ul-Haq feels that Shardul Thakur’s 57-run knock against England on the first day of The Oval Test would prove vital in the game. He lauded Thakur for his confidence and batting style when most of the top-order batters from India faltered.

Inzamam also stated that Virat Kohli, once having got himself in, should have got a bigger score, although the skipper was dismissed soon after reaching his half-century as he nicked Ollie Robinson behind to Jonny Bairstow.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Inzamam said: “You might think that India has been dismissed for a very low score (191). But the way the ball was swinging and seaming, the Indian score is not bad. It was a difficult track to bat on and I saw this kind of a surface after a very long time in Test cricket.”

“There was moisture in the pitch, the weather was cold too. So, the ball kept on swinging throughout the duration,” he said.

Opening up about Kohli’s performance, he said: “Fifty runs might not be a big score, but scoring that on this pitch was not easy. He could have scored a bit more because he was set, but he played well for his runs. And he got dismissed on a brilliant delivery.”

Shardul Thakur’s confidence was brilliant: Inzamam-ul-Haq 

Inzamam was all praises about Shardul Thakur, who scored a counterattacking half-century laced with seven fours and three sixes. Thakur’s 36-ball 57 ensured that India’s total reached closer to the 200-run mark when they were 127/7 at one stage.

“The way Shardul Thakur batted was brilliant. He played with such great confidence. Even the proper batters before him could not play on that track, but he started playing straight [shots] right from the start. His confidence looked very high. It looked as if he is batting in the nets and not an international game. The runs he scored would prove vital in this game going forward.”

Inzamam further said that India’s strikes later on Day 1 has set up the match nicely. “How Indian bowlers attacked England, has made the match interesting. They got the most crucial wicket of Joe Root, who is the backbone of the England batting lineup currently. If the pitch remains the same, I expect India to take a lead of at least 50 runs.”