NEW DELHI: Varun Chakaravarthy’s comeback to India T20I team hit a high note when he picked a sensational 5-17 in the second game against South Africa at Gqeberha, coinciding with the day his son turned two back home.
Though it didn’t result in an Indian victory, Chakaravarthy spun a vicious web of googlies while varying his pace to bamboozle Aiden Markram, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller to grab his career-best T20I figures.
Chakaravarthy revealed how he had to change everything about his bowling after having a not so memorable first stint with the Indian team. “I had to go to the drawing board and check out all my videos. I figured out that I was bowling side spin, and it was not working out in the higher levels.”
“So, I had to change everything about my bowling, and it took me two years and I started bowling in the local leagues and IPL also. So, it worked there, and I have started bowling it in the international stage and it’s working out for me, ” he said to broadcasters JioCinema.
He also talked about what makes it difficult for batters to pick his deliveries. “It is a combination of both my consistency and overspin. The overspin I bowl has more bite from the pitch and hopefully I can keep doing that and hopefully I can keep contributing for the country. All I want is to have a longer run with the Indian Cricket Team and hopefully I can do it well.”
Chakaravarthy signed off by saying how clarity has aided him in approaching games from a mental perspective. “More than confidence, I’d say I’m focusing more on clarity. That’s helping me more right now. Sometimes I feel confidence can lead me into a wrong direction and make me believe that I can do something impossible, so I feel focusing on clarity is better. I’m focused on that more.”