The mystery spinner bamboozled England’s middle-order with a stunning 3/23 spell but believes there’s more to achieve
Kolkata, January 23: Local hero Varun Chakravarthy played a pivotal role in India’s dominant seven-wicket win against England in the first T20I at Eden Gardens. Despite his match-winning performance, Chakravarthy remains unsatisfied, emphasizing his desire to keep improving.
Returning to his home ground, the mystery spinner unleashed his variations on a familiar surface, dismantling England’s middle-order and finishing with impressive figures of 3/23.
Masterclass in Bounce and Control
After Arshdeep Singh set the tone by dismissing England’s openers cheaply, Chakravarthy seized the moment to weave his magic. Recognizing the bounce in the pitch as a key element, the spinner adapted his approach to outfox the English batters.
“I’ve bowled extensively on such pitches in the IPL. Here, I realized that bounce, rather than side-spin, was my weapon. It’s all about finding the right lengths,” Chakravarthy said after receiving the Player of the Match award.
Game-Changing Spell
Chakravarthy’s mastery was evident as he dismissed England captain Jos Buttler (68 off 44), Harry Brook (17), and Liam Livingstone (0).
With Buttler and Brook building a promising partnership, Chakravarthy struck decisively. Brook fell for 17, and Livingstone followed two balls later. Buttler, England’s last hope of setting a competitive total, was outfoxed in the 18th over when he attempted to pull a delivery but was caught by Nitish Reddy at deep square leg.
Chakravarthy’s spell ensured England were restricted to 132, a target India chased comfortably with 43 balls to spare.
Unyielding Pursuit of Excellence
Despite his stellar performance, Chakravarthy remains focused on continuous improvement.
“I’m trying to keep the ball out of their hitting arc. Every over at Eden Gardens is challenging, especially against batters like Buttler. The last over was tricky, but I’m grateful it worked out. However, I’d rate myself a 7 out of 10—I still have more work to do,” he said.
Chakravarthy’s hunger for growth, coupled with his ability to deliver under pressure, bodes well for India as they aim to dominate the T20I series. The second match will be played in Chennai, where the spinner will look to build on his promising start.
Tags: Varun Chakravarthy T20I, India vs England T20, Eden Gardens, Indian cricket, mystery spinner, Jos Buttler wicket
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