‘Oh Lord! It had to be you’ - Sunrisers Hyderabad delighted as Shardul Thakur gives first breakthrough for India against Nepal

Over the years, Shardul Thakur has earned the reputation of giving crucial breakthroughs in the match. Against Nepal in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023, the Men in Blue didn’t start well with the ball and needed something spectacular to counter. That’s when skipper Rohit Sharma handed the ball to Shardul and in his very first over, the all-rounder picked up the wicket of Kushal Bhurtel, who was looking extremely dangerous in the middle.

Following the wicket, Sunrisers Hyderabad have expressed their delight and stated that it was only Shardul who could have given India the breakthrough. 

Here's SRH's Tweet after Shardul Thakur's breakthrough wicket in India vs Nepal match: 

Oh Lord! It had to be you! 🙌

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) September 4, 2023

Here's the video of the dismissal: 

Shardul Thakur - the golden arm of team India.

Always picks up crucial wickets and breaks the partnership! pic.twitter.com/qHaX9JRthU

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 4, 2023

Ravindra Jadeja spoils Nepal’s party

Even after Kushal’s dismissal, Nepal were looking good with the bat. However, they couldn’t tackle Ravindra Jadeja and lost a couple of quick wickets, which put them under pressure. The Indian all-rounder dismissed Bhim Sharki, Rohit Paudel and Kushal Malla, which broke the backbone of Nepal’s batting. 

Meanwhile, India’s fielding has been extremely poor in the match. Three easy chances were dropped and hence, the pressure kept on building. Shreyas Iyer dropped in the very first over of the match, while Virat Kohli, who’s regarded as one of the best fielders in the world, dropped in the very next over.

Courtesy of the same, Nepal managed to get a brilliant start. Bhurtel hit 38 runs off 25 deliveries while his opening partner Aasif Sheikh hit a half-century against a quality bowling unit of India. He started well but after a few quick wickets, the 22-year-old changed his gears and played the role of an anchor. It eventually helped him reach the milestone. 

On the other hand, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma faced massive criticism for the decision to bowl first against Nepal. The top-order batters failed to make a mark in the match against Pakistan and hence, they had the opportunity to bat first and spend some time in the middle ahead of the next round and most importantly, the ODI World Cup.