Chahal: India’s winning gambit
Skipper Virat Kohli letting him go all out for wickets has played a key role in his success, says legspinner
NEW DELHI: One of the factors behind every successful leg-spinner is the faith shown in him by the captain. And India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal attributes his success to Virat Kohli’s unwavering confidence in him, and says that is what motivates him to bowl fearlessly.
The attacking leggie, who picked six wickets against Australia and four versus the Kiwis in the ODI series at home, said Kohli allowed him to go after wickets.
“Virat bhai has always told me that even if I concede runs, if I get him a couple of wickets in the middle overs, he won’t mind. In T20s, he told me if I go for 35 runs in 4 overs but pick two or three wickets, he will be happy.
“However, in the last T20 at Trivandrum, in my second over, the plan was (to restrict) not to go for wickets because if I attacked, I’d have had to flight the ball and either I would have got a wicket or got hit for a six,” Yuzvendra Chahal, 27, told Hindustan Times over phone from the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.
CHAHAL’S GAMBIT
Kohli’s constant push for wickets also saw Chahal play a defining role in the ODI series decider against the Kiwis at Kanpur. Despite Colin Munro and Ross Taylor putting Indian bowlers under pressure, Chahal helped India win the series with a brilliant spell of 2/47.
A junior chess international who switched to cricket, Chahal’s ability of stay ahead of the batsmen has helped his cause. And his battle against Kiwi opener Colin Munro was a classic example.
“Against Munro at Kanpur, I bowled a slower ball, he got beaten and there was an appeal for stumping. I got a clue he liked to stand and deliver, and doesn’t believe in leaning into his shot.
“I thought I could bowl a little up and if I am getting turn that will be my plus point. I wanted him to go over cover as it was inside the circle. The flight was good, it dipped and he played without leaning into the shot. The risk involved was very high.” Munro was bowled. Known to pick wickets by bowling outside off-stump, his recent spells show he has made middle-stump deliveries lethal as well. Glenn Maxwell and Kane Williamson fell to wide variations; Munro and Guptill were beaten by flighted, middle-stump deliveries.
“Our coaching staff has really helped (in attacking middlestump). Mahi bhai reads the situation very well, so he tells how to plan. The ball outside off-stump is a variation but my strength is to keep hitting the spot. At the same time if I am bowling slowly and the ball isn’t turning, the batsman is caught in two minds, (not sure) it will turn or not.”
Another reason why Chahal is preferred by Kohli could be his ability of bowl well in conditions where the ball gets wet because of dew. Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav struggled in Guwahati (T20 vs Oz ) while Axar Patel too had a tough time. Chahal said it is his mental toughness that has helped him tackle the dew.
“Dew will be there at this time of the year, but I simply don’t think about it. If you do, your focus wavers from bowling.
“You have to be mentally strong and back yourself saying ‘I will bowl well no matter what’. Once you do that the thought of tackling dew goes away. Then you can focus on how to plan a dismissal.” Chahal praised Axar for his accuracy and ability to contain runs that allows him and Kuldeep to attack. “Axar, although not a great turner, he contains runs. Then I and Kuldeep can take our chances.”
The Sri Lanka series is approaching and the opposition batsmen are making a lot of noise about playing the sweep shot, but Chahal laughed. “They knew what happened in Sri Lanka. Sweep is the last resort and will be employed when you don’t have any other shot. We have our bases covered.”