Shardul Thakur showed his batting power with a match-winning cameo that saw India clinch the One-Day International series with a four-wicket victory over the West Indies and end the year on a high.
Set a challenging target of 316 in the series-decider on Sunday in Cuttuck, India’s top three – Rohit Sharma (63), KL Rahul (77) and Virat Kohli (85) – were in command of the chase. However, quick wickets saw India almost slip up in the dying moments.
The Indian captain walked back to the pavilion with 30 runs required off 23 balls and the visitors must have sensed a chance. But it was then that Thakur, in the company of a composed Ravindra Jadeja (39 not out), played a cameo that won’t be forgotten soon.
The 28-year-old Mumbai cricketer smashed 17 runs off just six balls to decisively seal the series. His blitzkrieg included a six and four off Sheldon Cottrell’s 10th over which saw 15 runs being conceded. India ultimately won the match with as many as eight balls to spare.
Earlier, he had a poor outing with the ball (1/66) as he was taken to cleaners by Pollard-Pooran duo during the back end of the innings. But his performance with the bat seemed to have made up for it.
Here’s a look at how Twitter reacted to the cameo, from praise to some hilarious memes.