Mumbai: Indian all-rounder and current captain of Mumbai Shardul Thakur stated that he was “underutilized” in the five-Test series in England last year. Playing under the new Test captain Shubman Gill and under the guidance of the head coach Gautam GambhirIndia drew the fifth test series 2-2. Thakur, who took 33 Test wickets in 13 Tests at 31.03, played in just two Tests in the series, taking two wickets at 72.00, at an economy rate of 5.33. In two Tests, Thakur bowled 27 overs while conceding 144 runs. Thakur bowled just six overs in the first innings of the first Test at Leeds, conceding 38 runs without taking a wicket, while India bowled out 100.4 overs. In the second innings, he took two for 51 in 10 overs as India bowled out 82 overs. India lost that Test by five wickets, while England made 465 and 373 for five. Called up for the fourth Test in Manchester, Thakur took 0-55 in 11 overs as England piled up 669 in the first innings. The match ended in a draw. Interestingly, in all three cases, Thakur bowled the fewest overs among all regular Indian bowlers. “After 2024-25, the season I had (he took 35 wickets in nine games at 22.62), I think I could have played a few more games and literally made a difference. When I played in England, I wasn’t used properly in bowling. In batting, yes, it was my mistake to bowl loosely at Leeds (he was out for 1 and 4). But in Manchester, I batted beautifully (he scored 41 in the first innings, I would say it was overcast, the ball was swinging, and one length bounced strangely). That’s how I survived that spell. And India still managed a very strong total (358) in the first innings. And then the pitch became flat and then we also managed to save the game. But if I hadn’t had that innings when the second new ball arrived, probably the result could have been different too,” Thakur told a select group of reporters on the sidelines of the ‘launch of the 2026-27 season.’ of the Mumbai Cricket Association at MCA’s BKC facility on Wednesday. Referring to the fact that he was “under-balled” in the England series due to some “miscalculation”, the 34-year-old Shardul said: “I would say I was under-balled and it was about being hit in the wrong phases. So I would say there was some miscalculation.” Has ‘Palghar Express’ spoken to the captain to clarify the situation regarding him? “No, I mean, you usually don’t talk to the captain or the coach because all the focus is on the game. Whenever you’re asked to do something, all you think about is, okay, now’s my chance and I want to give the team an edge. And while I’m doing that, sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t,” Thakur replied. Resenting the fact that he was ruled out of the attack even after taking wickets Ben Duckett and Harry Brooks in the 55th over of the Leeds Test, as England managed to chase down 373 while losing just five wickets, Thakur said, “So if you see that in Leeds, I got those two wickets in a row and India came back into the game, but then I was stopped again. So there I could have bowled longer, maybe got another wicket and then other bowlers would have come in and we could have won that game too. Well, again, ifs and buts.“ “My comments won’t change the script of that match and the result of that match. But yeah, I mean, you don’t end up having these kinds of conversations usually with the captain and others. You basically accept whatever is asked of you,” Thakur said. During one of his press conferences in England during last year’s Test series, Thakur hinted that he was not happy about being bowled much less than he wanted. However, despite his bitter experience when he last played for the country, Thakur hopes to get another chance to play for India in the future. “So, it’s not that I didn’t contribute when I last played for India. But yes, I think I deserve a few more chances. But that’s okay. Like I said, hope is still alive. And in the near future, if I’m ever asked to play for India again, I’d be ready,” he said.
