‘I wasn’t utilised properly in England’ – Shardul Thakur feels he deserved more opportunities

India all-rounder Shardul Thakur believes he was under-utilised during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England last year and feels he could have contributed more had he been given greater responsibility. The 34-year-old said he remains fully prepared to give his best for the national team whenever another opportunity comes his way.

Thakur’s last international appearance came during India’s five-Test tour of England around 12 months ago. He featured in the opening Test at Leeds and returned for the fourth Test at Old Trafford, delivering a mixed set of performances with both bat and ball. India suffered a defeat in the series opener before earning a draw in Manchester, with the five-match contest eventually ending in a 2-2 stalemate.

“I 100 per cent desire to play for India again. At the back of my mind, it’s always there. Even if you’re dropped or discarded, I think hope is a very strong word. As long as hope is alive, everything is possible,” said Thakur as quoted by Cricbuzz.

With the bat, Thakur managed scores of 1, 4 and 41, while remaining unbeaten without getting a chance to bat in one innings across the two Tests. With the ball, he picked up two wickets in the series opener at Leeds but went wicketless in the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

Despite being one of India’s premier pace-bowling all-rounders, Thakur bowled only 27 overs across the two matches. Looking back on the tour, he admitted feeling under-utilised and believed he could have made a greater impact had he been entrusted with a bigger role.

“It’s very hard to comment on why I may have missed out on a few selections. But after the 2024-25 season, the kind of season I had, I think I could have played a few more games and literally made a difference. When I played in England, I don’t think I was utilised properly. In batting, yes, it was my mistake that I played a loose shot in Leeds. But in Manchester, I batted beautifully, I would say, because it was overcast, the ball was swinging, and there was one length from where the ball was hardly bouncing. I survived that spell and India still put up a very, very strong total in the first innings. Then the pitch became flat and we were also able to save the game,” said Thakur.

“So it’s not that I didn’t make any contribution when I last played for India. But yes, I think I deserved a few more opportunities. I would say it was more about being under-bowled and being used in the wrong phases. There were some calculation errors, I would say. Hope is still alive. If, in the near future, they ever ask me to play for India again, I’ll be ready,” he added.

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