India's new Test player Shardul Thakur's celebrations marred by loss of kin

Mumbai: Joy knew no bounds for Mumbai pacer Shardul Thakur when he was selected earlier this week for the Indian team's tour of the West Indies, although the celebrations at his home were low key due to a close relative's demise. "They (family members) were happy. But a couple of weeks ago, my uncle - my mom's brother - had passed away, so the celebrations weren't too high," said Thakur when asked here on Saturday about the reactions within his family at his home in neighbouring Palghar district. "We kept it easy. Obviously, my friends came home and we cut the cake," said the 25-year-old pacer who was in the forefront of the Mumbai bowling attack when they lifted the Ranji Trophy for the 41st time earlier this season. This is the first time that Thakur will be touring with the Indian squad and he said he will talk to senior players about the wicket conditions he will encounter in the West Indies, where India are to play a four-Test rubber in July-August. "I don't have idea of their wickets, how they are preparing wickets/pitches now. I will go there and figure it out. I will talk to my senior guys when I meet there. Go there, practise and figure it out," he told reporters at suburban Kandivili after being felicitated. "There is no West Indian in Kings XI Punjab (IPL team), so I haven't got any opportunity to speak to them," he added. Pressed further whether he would like to speak to Sachin Tendulkar, Thakur quipped, "If I get an opportunity to speak to him, I surely will." Initially, Thakur used to commute to the city from Palghar by train. Asked to recall those days he said, "It's okay, I mean it's very difficult to travel each and every day from Palghar to Mumbai. But I had to play cricket and cricket was the only thing on my mind, so rest of the things did not matter to me that I had to travel so much. So I had to do it." Nowadays the young pace bowler stays with his uncle (father's brother) in Mumbai and travels to Palghar to meet his parents and other family members when he gets the chance.