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WATCH: Shardul Thakur’s iconic half-century against in 4th Test against England at The Oval in 2021

Star India all-rounder Shardul Thakur celebrates his 32nd birthday today. The pace sensation has been phenomenal throughout his career and is one of the most important parts of India’s World Cup campaign. Shardul’s amazing batting and bowling performances have been worth watching in the past.

So, taking this opportunity, let’s have a look at Lord Shardul Thakur’s iconic half-century against England at the Oval. During India’s tour of England in 2021, India was going 2-1 down against the hosts. On day one of the fourth Test, Indian batters failed to put up a show against the mighty English bowlers. However, when India was six down in the game, the Lord came to rescue the team.

Here is the video:

Shardul Thakur at his best at the Oval.

The architect of India in the Test victory!pic.twitter.com/0jnBmEzSyV

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 16, 2023

Shardul Thakur, in his amazing counter-attacking game, scored the fastest half-century in Test cricket on English soil. In his innings, Shardul scored 57 runs off 36 balls and sparked a 63-run partnership with Umesh Yadav. His amazing batting performance not only propelled India to a respectable total but also helped them win the game.

Shardul Thakur broke Ian Botham’s record

Shardul reached his fifty by hitting his third six off Chris Woakes, sending the ball to the mid-wicket stands. Celebrating his second Test half-century, Thakur showed a lot of confidence as he waved his bat to the dressing room, receiving applause for his courageous effort as an all-rounder. With his fifty in just 31 balls, Shardul Thakur surpassed Ian Botham’s record for the fastest fifty in England, achieved in 32 balls at the Oval in 1986.

It’s worth noting that this was the second-fastest fifty by an Indian in a Test match. The record for the fastest fifty by an Indian batsman is held by Kapil Dev, who scored fifty off 30 balls against Pakistan in Karachi in 1982. Apart from this innings, there were a lot of performances that made Shardul Thakur, Lord Shardul Thakur, We wish him a great happy birthday and hope his performance helps India lift the ODI World Cup in 2023.