Indian bowler Shardul Thakur recently opened up about what went down during India's recently suspended Test series against England. He claimed that English fast-bowler James Anderson abused Mohammed Siraj during the first Test at Trent Bridge and went on to abuse Jasprit Bumrah during the Lord's Test after he received a few bouncers.

In an interview with TOI, when asked about experiencing tensions with the England team, Shardul Thakur said, There were no tensions with the England team. It (the issue) was only with James Anderson. He abused Mohammed Siraj in the first Test, and likewise, he did the same to (Jasprit) Bumrah in the Lord's Test, when he (Bumrah) bowled the body line to him. Have you seen how fast bowlers bowl to our tail-enders when we go overseas? Mohammed Shami's arm got fractured in Adelaide. T Natarajan was bombarded with fast body line balls at 90-plus miles an hour. We are not here to make friendships and spare anyone. We are here to win.

Speaking about his thought process during the second innings of the Oval Test, Thakur added, My job was simple— I had to support the other three pacers. But at some stage (of my career) in other forms of cricket and in domestic games, I too had played as the main seamer of my team. So my natural instinct is to take wickets. Even when England were cruising in the second innings with no wickets on board, my intention was to take wickets and not even once did I think of bowling defensively. Rory’s [wicket] was a reward of a good ball which pitched on the right spot and moved away. I was really pleased with the wickets of Pope and Root. I was just trying to bowl that teasing line and length outside the off-stump.

The fifth Test match between England and India was ultimately cancelled after a number of support staff members contracted COVID-19. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) along with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have jointly decided to call off the 5th Test, the Indian cricket board said.