Watch: Mumbai's Shardul Thakur brings up maiden First-Class ton in style during Ranji semi-final against Tamil Nadu

India all-rounder Shardul Thakur brought up his maiden First-Class century in style with a six during Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy semi-final clash against Tamil Nadu in Mumbai on Sunday.

Thakur, who had been dropped for the five-Test series against England at home after featuring in the tour of South Africa, danced down the track and smashed Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner Ajith Ram for a six over long off to bring up the milestone on Day 2 of the semi-final clash at Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex.

Watch:

Shardul Thakur gets to his century in style 🔥🔥

What a time to score your maiden first-class 💯

The celebrations say it all 👌👌@imShard | @IDFCFIRSTBank | #RanjiTrophy | #MUMvTN | #SF2

Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/9tosMLk9TT pic.twitter.com/3RI9Sap6DO

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) March 3, 2024

Thakur came to Mumbai’s rescue after they had been reduced to 106/7, facing the prospect of conceding a first-innings lead despite bowling Tamil Nadu out for a paltry 146. Palghar native Thakur would stitch a 105-run eighth-wicket partnership with wicket-keeper batter Hardik Tamore (35) before the latter fell to left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore. Thakur would continue to attack the TN bowlers from his end though, adding 79 for the ninth wicket with Tanush Kotian, another Mumbai lower-order batter who’s in great nick at the moment.

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He would eventually be dismissed for a 105-ball 109, in which he collected 13 fours and four sixes, after getting caught-behind off Kuldeep Sen’s bowling. Kotian, meanwhile, was batting on 74 at close of play with Tushar Deshpande unbeaten on 17 and the last-wicket partnership between the two worth 63. The Ajinkya Rahane-led Mumbai reached 353/9 at stumps, leading their opponents by a massive 207 runs and boosting their chances of reaching the final.

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Thakur had earlier contributed with the ball as well, collecting two wickets for 48 runs while Deshpande led the way with a haul of 3/24 as Tamil Nadu were bundled out for less than 150 after skipper Sai Kishore’s decision to bat backfired on his team.

Thakur had collected 11 half-centuries in First-Class cricket, including four in Tests, before bringing up the three-figure mark for the first time on Sunday. His first-ever half-century in Test cricket came during India’s epic victory at The Gabba in Brisbane during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the form of a 115-ball 67. Thakur would then score back-to-back half-centuries at The Oval during the fourth Test against England later that year.