Wanted to create an impact in Oval Test as soon as I knew I am playing: Shardul

London [UK], September 7 : All-rounder Shardul Thakur has said that he wanted to create an impact in the Oval Test against England as soon as he got to know that he is a part of the playing XI.
The Virat Kohli-led side stormed to an emphatic 157-run win over England to take a 2-1 lead in the ongoing five-match series. Indian bowlers delivered big time on the last day of the fourth Test at the Kennington Oval on Monday as the genius of mercurial Jasprit Bumrah, and all-round performance by Shardul Thakur in the match helped visitors in defeating England by 157 runs to gain a 2-1 in the five-match series. This is also India's first win in Oval in 50 years.
In the fourth Test, Shardul scored fifties in both innings and he also went on to take the crucial wicket of Joe Root in the second innings which led to England's collapse and Team India's win.
"It feels great, the day I got to know I am playing the game, I planned on creating an impact in this game and create such an impact that I have to make useful and winning contribution for the team. On Day 5, with this result, I am very happy that I could contribute more than 100 runs and three wickets in the game. I always believed that I had the ability to bat, in the nets there was enough time to bat. I think these are the small little things I have done in the nets," Shardul told bcci.tv.
Pacer Umesh Yadav also said that he feels good to put in a good performance for the side and he also shed light on the team's mindset on the final day of the game.
"Definitely, I am feeling very good. After a long time, I played a match and I gave a good performance as well. Not just me, everyone performed well and it was a team effort. Shardul gave an all-round performance, Rohit and Rahul started well and then the middle-order and lower-order came to the party. We knew the wicket was flat so we had to put in a lot of effort on Day 5. We tried to bowl at good lengths and we tried to contain as we knew the wickets will come," said Umesh.
With the conditions good enough for batting, England openers got the hosts off to a decent start, with both scoring fifties, however, Shardul came into the attack and got rid of Burns in his first over of day 5. Shardul Thakur who was part of the Indian quartet in scoring more than 50 runs in the second innings, also dazzled with the ball as he sent back Joe Root to the pavilion later.
Hosts were still in the game until just after lunch on Day 5 when Jasprit Bumrah produced a glorious spell to give India a real shot at victory. India and England will now lock horns in the fifth and final Test, beginning September 10 at Manchester.