In the third and series-deciding One Day International (ODI) cricket match between India and the West Indies at Trinidad, India secured a convincing victory, winning by a massive 200-run margin.
India’s batting unit delivered an impressive performance collectively. The opening pair of Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill set the tone for India with a remarkable partnership of 143 runs in just 19.4 overs. Ishan Kishan scored 77 runs off 64 balls, including 8 fours and 3 sixes, while Shubman Gill contributed 85 runs off 92 balls, hitting 11 fours.
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra was impressed with Thakur’s performance, stating on JioCinema: “In the previous match itself, Shardul took three wickets. He gets very limited credit for the way he bowls. I am trying to figure out how he takes so many wickets and why he is expensive, both things going hand-in-hand.”
The momentum was further bolstered by stand-in captain Hardik Pandya, who remained unbeaten with a quickfire 70 runs off 52 balls, featuring 4 fours and 5 sixes. Sanju Samson also played a crucial role, scoring 51 runs off 41 balls, with 2 fours and 4 sixes. Their efforts helped India set a challenging target of 352 runs for the hosts.
“If you are taking three wickets, the economy shouldn’t be much to worry about because 300 is going to be there as a target. He doesn’t give more than 6 runs per over, must be 6.1-6.2. The number of balls he bowls, the chances of him getting a wicket are very bright,” described Chopra.
The former India opener then attached: “We say it’s wicket-taking luck, but if you closely observe Shardul, the reason why he has the wicket-taking luck is because he bowls in those areas and he has a lot of belief. If you ever ask him how good are you? He would answer: “equal to Dennis Lillee!”. That’s the confidence he has, and I love him for that.”
The West Indies struggled to gain any momentum against the Indian bowlers. Paceman Shardul Thakur led the bowling attack, taking an impressive 4 wickets for 37 runs in 6.3 overs. Another pace bowler, Mukesh Kumar, also made an impact with figures of 3 wickets for 30 runs. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav contributed with 2 wickets for 25 runs.
As a result, the West Indies team was bowled out for a mere 151 runs in 35.3 overs, handing India a resounding victory.
Additionally, it is noteworthy that Shardul Thakur holds the record for the most number of wickets among Indian bowlers in ODIs since the 2019 World Cup. In the 32 matches he has played during this period, he has taken 48 wickets, putting him two wickets ahead of Kuldeep Yadav, who also has 48 wickets in the same number of matches. This statistic highlights Thakur’s significant impact as a pace bowler for India in the limited-overs format.
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