Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur believes that any rule permitting a substitute to replace an injured player in Test cricket should be introduced only in the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. He argued that implementing such a change during the current cycle would be unjust.
The discussion around substitution rules has intensified after Rishabh Pant sustained a toe fracture during the ongoing India-England Test in Manchester. Although Dhruv Jurel has taken over wicketkeeping duties, the current rules prevent him from batting. As a result, Pant was forced to bat despite his injury.
Addressing the media after the second day’s play in Manchester on Thursday, July 24, Thakur expressed his opinion on the ongoing debate regarding the use of substitutes in Test cricket. He said:
“I think there is some discussion going on. I was reading it in the news. Whether that should come into play or not, right now I can’t say much. But, if it happens, I would say it should happen after this WTC cycle. It shouldn’t happen in the middle because a few series are being played as part of WTC. It would be unfair when it comes to the points table and qualifying for the finals, looking at the WTC cycle.”
“Could’ve Done Better With The New Ball” – Shardul Thakur On Day 2 Bowling
Although Rishabh Pant played a courageous innings, India were dismissed for a modest total of 358 in their first innings. England responded strongly, reaching 225/2 at the end of 46 overs. Openers Ben Duckett (94) and Zak Crawley (84) stitched together a 166-run stand in just 32 overs. Reflecting on India’s bowling performance, Shardul Thakur acknowledged:
“With the new ball, we could have been better. We were trying to hold it back, but runs kept flowing. It wasn’t difficult for bowlers. We could have had much more patience in terms of bowling the channel, which we didn’t. There were few deliveries, which we bowled well and there were few deliveries that just went for boundaries. We need to evaluate the kind of deliveries we need to stick to.”
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