• Source:JND

India all-rounder Shardul Thakur believes he was not used effectively during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England last year. The 34-year-old reckons that he could have contributed more if he had been given a bigger role by the team management led by head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill.

Despite being out of the Indian Test side since July 2025, Thakur has not given up on his dream of wearing the national jersey again. The Mumbai captain remains hopeful of earning another opportunity in the longest format.

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Thakur Says He Was Not Used Properly

Thakur played two Tests out of five during the England tour. He bowled only 27 overs across the two matches, both of which lasted the full five days. While he registered two single-digit scores in the Leeds Test, he made an important 41 in Manchester under difficult batting conditions.

Looking back at the series, Thakur said he felt he deserved more responsibility with the ball and more chances in the playing XI.

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"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," Thakur said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

"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."

Can Shardul Thakur Return to India's Test Team?

Thakur has not played a Test match since July 2025. Since then, India have completed Test series against the West Indies and South Africa without him.

A return during the Sri Lanka tour appears difficult because the conditions are expected to favour spin bowlers. However, the New Zealand series could give him a better chance, especially if India need an extra pace-bowling all-rounder.

Nitish Kumar Reddy's quadriceps injury could also open the door for Thakur. Even if Reddy returns to fitness, there may be concerns about whether he can bowl long spells in Test cricket immediately after his recovery.

At the same time, Thakur faces competition from Auqib Nabi, who is currently part of the India A squad touring Sri Lanka. Nabi has impressed with both bat and ball in first-class cricket and is considered another strong option for the selectors.

Thakur's Test Record

Thakur made his Test debut in 2018 and has represented India in 13 matches so far. He has taken 33 wickets at an average of just over 31.

One of his best performances came against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2022, where he claimed seven wickets in an innings.

White-Ball Return Also Looks Difficult

Thakur also missed out on India's T20I squad despite injuries to Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy during the UK tour. Instead, the selectors handed a debut to his Mumbai teammate Suryansh Shedge.

The experienced all-rounder also had a mixed IPL 2026 season with Mumbai Indians. He picked up 12 wickets in seven matches at an average of 22.50 but leaked runs at an economy rate of 12.27. With the bat, he managed only 24 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 80.


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