We practise our batting for moments like these: Shardul Thakur

Washington Sundar's first name always turns heads but on Sunday morning at Brisbane it was his second name - his father's - that he lived up to. Having started off as a batsman, before turning his attention to off-spin, Sundar revelled on the big stage. He drove, cut and clipped balls 'beautifully' like a top-order batsman against a potent Aussie bowling attack.
Joining him soon at the crease was Shardul Thakur, who won a match for India in ODIs with a little cameo against the West Indies in Cuttack two years back. Thakur, 29, took a more aggressive approach, hitting a six to get off the mark before doing an encore to reach his fifty.
If tenacity and resilience have been the defining words to describe the Indian team's performance in Australia this summer, debutant Sundar and one-Test-match-old Thakur displayed that in ample measure in their record partnership at the Gabba on Sunday.
"I practise my batting. These are moments for which we practise our batting. An opportunity presented itself in this match and I knew that the team would benefit if I stayed at the crease for a long haul," said Thakur at the virtual media interaction from Brisbane.
The duo quickly transferred the pressure back on the Aussies by keeping the scoreboard ticking. Admitting that he hadn't batted with Sundar much, the lad from Palghar said effective communication got them through in the middle. "Both of us have that temperament to succeed at this level. Honestly, we were not looking at the scoreboard, the idea was to spend some time in the middle. We knew their bowlers were tiring and if we hung in there for one more hour, then probably we would be on top. If one of was losing control or trying a rash shot, we immediately communicated to get back to our normal game," Thakur gave an insight into the pair's strategy.
The two had taken three wickets each in Australia's first innings and were included in the playing XI for their ability to contribute with the bat too. And the seamer said coach Ravi Shastri's words at the beginning of the tour served as an inspiration. "I remember our coach Shastri saying at the start of one-day series, 'If you perform in this country, you will be rewarded and people will love you for your performances'. That was on my mind, and I knew if I performed, eventually it would help my team," said Shardul.
The most heartening feature of India's tour of Australia has been the performance of the newcomers who have looked the part in the team set-up after injuries to several key players. Thakur attributes this success to 'A' tours. "We were here in 2016 and we played at the Allan Border Field. We played four-day games there. The pitch there is different, but at least you are used to Australian conditions. When you take that leap from India A to the senior side, the transition is not that difficult," Thakur said.