Shardul all thrilled for WTC Final

India’s fast-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur has termed the World Test Championship final against Australia, starting on Wednesday at The Oval, “once-in-a-lifetime moment”, and he is keen to make it count. It remains to be seen if Thakur, who has played three of his eight Tests so far in England, makes it to the playing XI since the Rohit Sharma-led team would certainly want to go in with an extended batting line-up. But on his part, the 31-year-old says he is ready to make it count in the final. “I feel that ICC event, finals especially, you don’t get to play them everywhere each and every year, so it’s, for a few players or somebody like me, a once-in-a-lifetime moment,” Thakur told the ICC. He added, “All that I want is to make it count. It’s always a special moment when you’re representing your country — especially India, when there’s a billion people out there who dream of playing for the nation and only the best 15 have been chosen to represent the country,” Thakur added. Thakur’s case will be a tough one to ignore, for he struck twin half-centuries — 57 and 60 — and claimed three wickets as India won by 157 runs at The Oval in September 2021 against England.