'We can express ourselves and play with freedom'- Shardul Thakur optimistic ahead of third ODI against New Zealand

Team India dropped their first bilateral series across formats since their 2-3 defeat to Australia last March after losing back-to-back ODIs to the New Zealanders in Hamilton and Eden Park in Auckland. In both the games, it was the Men in Blue’s inability to grab the small moments, team-combination and lack of discipline that paved way for back-to-back defeats.

The first game saw the Indian bowlers give away as many as 25 wides during their defence of 4-347, eventually paving way for Ross Taylor and Tom Latham to seal the deal for the Kiwis. While in the second game, it was their inability to polish off the tail that paved the way for New Zealand to recover from 8-195 to an eventual match-winning total of 8-279.

With the ignominy of a whitewash looming large, Team India will be looking to shrug off the past two games and play fearless cricket, something which under-fire seamer Shardul Thakur echoed in the press-conference.

“Every match is important. Just because we are 0-2 down, this does not mean that the final match is important. Every international match holds a key. We are 0-2 down. We can express ourselves and we will play with freedom,” Thakur told reporters on the eve of the third ODI.

Ross Taylor has been a nemesis for India in the first two games

While the middle-order batsman spearheaded the home sides’ run-chase in Hamilton with an imperious hundred, he proceeded to score a crucial half-century in Auckland to help the Kiwis post an eventual match-winning total. Shardul reckoned that Taylor plays like God on the on-side besides ruing the fact that India missed out on their chances to dismiss Taylor in the first two games, something they can ill-afford at the Bay Oval.

“Ross is batting really well. He can play like God on the leg side once he is in. In the last two ODIs, there were chances of us dismissing him, but we did not grab our chances. It is important to send him back early in the innings,” said Thakur as quoted by IndiaToday.

Thakur has been under the pump as far as his team selection based on his secondary skill-batting is concerned. And, with Navdeep Saini showcasing his batting talent in the last game, it will be interesting to see whether Team India persists with Shardul at Bay Oval or not.

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