Rajkot, Jan 29: India’s in-form spinner Varun Chakravarthy feels the Rajkot pitch playing slower in the second innings than team’s expectations contributed to its first loss of the five-match T20I series against England.
The match was expected to be a high-scoring affair but it wasn’t to be. England did rather well to post 171 for nine from 127 for eight. But India fell way short of the target, by 26 runs to be specific, as leg-spinner Adil Rashid produced a decisive bowling effort in the middle overs.
“I thought the dew might set in and the ball will start skidding on. But the pitch became very slow and their cutters and their leggies started working more.
While if you see in the first innings it was not that slow. So, that definitely played in their favour.
“And obviously, Adil Rashid is a legend and he knows how to bowl. He has that control over his speed,” said Chakravarthy on Tuesday night.
Rashid, who found Tilak Varma’s middle stump with a classical leg-break, got welcome support from Jamie Overton, who struck thrice at run a ball in his four overs.
It was the second time that Chakravarthy’s five-wicket haul came in a losing cause.
The mystery spinner has been India’s standout bowler since his comeback last year and had the England batters guessing once again.
“No, I can’t, I can’t complain because that’s the nature of the game. There have been times, even when I don’t take five wickets, we might end up losing. So, I can’t complain.
“But my job is to just keep focusing on what I can do, what I can perform for the team. And that’s all in my control,” he said.Putting more overspin on the ball has yielded rich dividends for Chakravarthy and he is also working on perfecting the flipper. Has he attempted anything new of late? “Nothing new, but the work doesn’t stop because consistency is a constant work.
“As in, even if I can bowl a ball– a stock ball, I need to keep working on it, keep pushing it. I need to get nine on ten consistency. That work is always there.
So, right now my focus is on consistency and line and length,” said the 33-year-old from Tamil Nadu.
Chakravarthy also defended leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi who leaked 46 runs in four overs.
“Bishnoi is a top class bowler. Last match I went for 38 runs. He bowled around 26 runs (27 actually in four overs).
So, it’s just this match or that match anyone can get hit. So, no one can be judged with just one match and he, I am sure I can write and give you he will make a great comeback in the next match,” added Chakravarthy.
Chakravarthy’s rise
Chakravarthy’s magical 5/24 in India’s 26-run loss in the third T20I propelled him to top five in the T20I bowling rankings.
Meanwhile, fellow spinner Axar Patel moved up five places to 11th, just outside the top 10.
England’s Adil Rashid has reclaimed the No. 1 spot among T20I bowlers.
Rashid first claimed the top position at the end of 2023 and held it for much of last year until West Indies’ Akeal Hosein briefly surpassed him before Christmas. (PTI)
