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Shardul Thakur continues to build his reputation as a man who delivers breakthroughs whenever he is brought on the attack. Saturday was another such occasion when a right hand pacer wove his double wicket magic to hit Zimbabwe’s serve at the start of the 2nd ODI played at Harare Sports Club.
Shardoul’s double hit came just after Mohammed Siraj broke the opening partnership in the ninth over after Zimbabwe had the foresight to start the game hoping to blunt a new ball.
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Shardul finished 3/38 from seven overs with five other bowlers each taking a wicket and Zimbabwe folded for 161. India pursued the goal with just 25.4 overs to take a 2–0 lead in the three-match series.
BCCI later shared a video of Siraj asking Shardul about the secret to his ability to make breakthroughs.
From the secret of taking the wicket to breaking the ball 😎 👌
On the microphone with @imShard & @mdsirajofficial after #TeamIndiavictory in the 2⃣nd ODI against Zimbabwe. 👍 👍 – Author @ameyatilak
Full interview 🎥 👇 #ZIMWIND https://t.co/lXE8oUjX7o pic.twitter.com/LXueBsDiD7
— BCI (@BCCI) August 21, 2022
“Hamesha aap aate hain to breakthrough expands hai. Yeh kya raaz hai? (Every time you go bowling, you provide a breakthrough. What’s the secret?) Siraj asked.
Smiling Shardul replied:Koshish hamesha wicket nikalne ki rehti hai. Bhagwaan ka bhi thoda rehem hai ke wickets mil rahe (My goal is to always take the wicket. And then God was good that I continue to take the wicket).”
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While Siraj played in both games, Shardul has been on the bench since the start of the series.
When asked how he planned his length, Shardul replied, “I saw your (Siraj) length before I came bowling. I found the right length that would bother the hitters here. My plan was simple.”
With the series already in the bag, India will now be aiming for a clean win when they take the field for a third and final time against Zimbabwe on Monday.
It’s possible that the tourists could give a chance to those who didn’t play in either of the first two games, which means players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Avesh Khan, Shahabaz Ahmed could make their way into the squad.
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