Shardul Thakur, the all-rounder from Mumbai, continued to showcase his versatility by making a remarkable impact with the ball on Day 3 of the ongoing Ranji Trophy semi-final against Tamil Nadu at BKC, Mumbai.
Thakur dismissed both openers, N Jagadeesan and Sai Sudharsan, in rapid succession, creating further difficulties for Tamil Nadu. Using the new ball effectively, he produced an away swinger that pitched on the leg-stump, fooling Jagadeesan’s attempted flick towards mid-wicket.
The on-field umpire, prompted by a loud appeal from the fielders, adjudged the Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper LBW. During Shardul Thakur’s following over, Sai Sudharsan attempted a cover drive on a delivery that swung into him.
The ball caught the inside edge of Sudharsan’s bat, leading to a straightforward catch by wicketkeeper Hardik Tamore, leaving Tamil Nadu in a precarious position at 6/2.
Shardul Thakur’s dual impact troubles Tamil Nadu early on, both with his bowling and a double wicket. You can watch the video here:
https://x.com/bccidomestic/status/1764524948964663620?s=46
Tamil Nadu suffered another significant setback as Washington Sundar departed for a mere 4 runs off 19 balls, getting caught behind off the bowling of Mohit Avasthi.
Tamil Nadu had no response to the exceptional performance displayed by Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur is emerging as the decisive factor in what could have been a closely contested semi-final. While Mumbai restricted Tamil Nadu to a mere 146 in the first innings, they faced challenges at 106/7, particularly due to the spinning prowess of R Sai Kishore.
Thakur entered the batting fray and transformed the game with his rapid century of 109 runs from 105 balls. Supported by Tanush Kotian’s unbeaten 89, Mumbai reached a total of 378 before the innings concluded. As Tamil Nadu heads into lunch on Day 3, they stand at 57/3, trailing by a substantial 175 runs.
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