All-rounder Shardul Thakur has thrown his hat firmly into the selection ring for the first Test against England, smashing an unbeaten 122 while representing India A in the intra-squad game against the senior Indian side in Beckenham on Sunday.
Thakur, who resumed Day 3 unbeaten, brought up his century with ease, reinforcing his case as the ideal seam-bowling all-rounder ahead of the Leeds Test.
Earlier in the game, the Mumbai cricketer had already turned heads with the ball. Bowling to the main India XI, Thakur troubled top-order batters including KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Karun Nair, showcasing his dual threat.
The strong performance comes at a crucial juncture. With Nitish Kumar Reddy occupying the seam-bowling all-rounder’s role through the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy series—where he scored a memorable century at the MCG but struggled with the ball—the team management now faces a tough call.
Thakur’s ability to deliver breakthroughs against the tide and his recent domestic form backs it up. He was Mumbai’s standout player in the Ranji Trophy and earned a late call-up to the squad for the England series.
The intra-squad fixture, initially slated to run till June 16, was called off midway through Day 3 after nearly eight sessions of play. It provided just enough insight for the selectors and team management to weigh key decisions ahead of the first Test starting June 20 at Headingley, Leeds.
Among other notable performances, Sarfaraz Khan blazed his way to a 76-ball 101 for India A, but he remains outside the main squad. KL Rahul and Shubman Gill also made solid contributions, scoring half-centuries in India’s first-innings total of 469.
On the bowling front, Bumrah went wicketless, while Siraj and Prasidh claimed two wickets each. Nitish Kumar Reddy also chipped in with one.
The Indian squad will now head to Leeds on Tuesday, June 17, with selection dilemmas—and Shardul Thakur’s timely statement—fresh on the agenda.
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