Kolkata, January 23: India's ace T20I spinner Varun Chakravarthy revealed the key aspect he has been working on to make his deliveries more mysterious after delivering a Player of the Match performance in the first T20I against England at Eden Gardens.
Kolkata's local hero, Chakravarthy, showcased his unpredictable variations, leaving English batters in a spin. On a pitch where Chakravarthy has bowled extensively, it wasn't the turn that made him effective, but the variation in pace combined with the bounce he generated off the surface.
Chakravarthy already has an ace up his sleeve -- the googly, which is difficult for batters to pick. However, the 33-year-old has focused on varying his pace, keeping opposition batters guessing.
"I've worked on trying to vary my pace. I don't want batters to line me up because I'm bowling at the same speed every ball. That's what I've worked on, and I'm trying to perfect it further," Chakravarthy said on Disney+ Hotstar.
In the first T20I, after India won the toss and decided to bowl, it was Arshdeep Singh who produced a rollicking spell with his scorching pace and swing. Within the blink of an eye, England's opening pair, Ben Duckett and Phil Salt perished and returned to the dressing room.
The stage was set, and Chakravarthy had all the time he needed to pull tricks out of his mystery box to bamboozle the hard-hitting English middle-order.
Chakravarthy quickly realised that bounce was the key to success, rather than relying solely on turn. He adjusted his plan of attack according to the surface's requirements.
When England threatened with a promising partnership between Buttler and Brook, Chakravarthy executed a perfect counter-punch.
Young sensation Brook was the first to fall for 17, followed by Livingstone, who was dismissed for a two-ball duck in the same over.
England's hopes of crossing the 150-run mark now rested on how long Buttler could stay at the crease. As the first innings neared its conclusion, Buttler knew he had to target the boundary.
He attempted to pull the ball to deep square leg, but Nitish Reddy came charging in to take a brilliant catch, ending Buttler's innings at 68(44). With the loss of their skipper, England could only manage to reach 132, a target India chased down comfortably.
Buttler's wicket was Chakravarthy's final scalp of the match as he finished with impressive figures of 3/23 in his four-over spell.
