Spin it to win it: Varun growing in stature

Ace spinner was the standout performer in the opening T20I vs England; former India pacer Balaji says his ability to stay calm sets him apart from rest
Varun Chakravarthy in action against England in Kolkata on Wednesday
Varun Chakravarthy in action against England in Kolkata on WednesdayPHOTO: AFP
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CHENNAI: Varun Chakravarthy seems to be soaring at the moment. In familiar conditions in Kolkata, the ace spinner was the standout bowler for India on Wednesday. He delivered a Man of the Match performance against England in the opening T20I at the Eden Gardens, helping the home side post a handsome victory in the process. He bamboozled the English batters with his variations and guile and ended up with impressive figures of 3/23 in his four overs.

Ever since Gautam Gambhir started coaching India and brought back Varun into the team, the mystery spinner's stock has witnessed a steady rise.

The way he castled Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone showed his excellent control and his maturity in delivering the right balls at  appropriate times. Varun showed his ability to mix his deliveries judiciously and go for the kill.  "He was absolutely brilliant. He bowled with a lot of confidence and one could sense the maturity in the way he sorts out batters,'' L Balaji, chief coach of Tamil Nadu, told this daily.

The vast shift in Varun's bowling is due to change of attitude and role under the new Indian team think-tank.

"Before Gambhir & Co took over, I guess Varun's role was to be more restrictive and pick an odd wicket here and there. But since his comeback last year, the wicket column has gone up and this has helped him to regain his confidence bowling for the national side," opined the former India pace bowler.

"Whatever the amount of economical spells you bowl, it doesn't matter unless and until you take wickets. He is going for wickets and that is making a huge difference for him. Gambhir and other leadership (department) has helped him to grow in stature," added Balaji.

When a bowler goes for wickets, he can also be hit. So mental strength is vital. Balaji believes Varun possesses the right mindset.

"Yes, at times you can be hit. The format is such. But Varun is mentally strong and knows how to improvise, be it change lines, bowling a bit quicker or change angles. So this ability to not get rattled and bowl again with a positive mindset, sets him apart," the former TN captain assessed.

Varun, who relies more on side spin to be effective, believes that familiar conditions helped him. "I am used to seeing such pitches in the IPL. I know that it is for the seamers but I know there are certain lengths which is helpful for me. I am trying to keep it away from their arc, it was holding a bit. Every over, bowling in Eden is challenging. To bowl to batsmen like Jos (Buttler) and other guys is definitely challenging. The last over was very tricky and challenging, but by God's grace, I was successful. What I realised I can't beat batsmen with side-spin, the only way I can beat the batsmen is through bounce. I'm still 7 on 10, still more work to do," he said after the match.

Balaji insisted that Varun's ability to mix his deliveries, in particular the googly, has made him a dangerous customer to face.

"You see Varun is bowling a lot quicker and his body language says that he wants wickets. The way he foxed Harry Brook and Livingstone with a googly shows that he knows how to use and when to use the most effective ball for a spinner. With most players

predominantly on the front foot and looking to step out and hit, one needs to be judicious and Varun is intelligent," he said.

Wednesday's outcome is not a surprise as Varun has had excellent returns in recent times. He had entered the series after a successful Vijay Hazare and Balaji felt that the spinner can excel in other formats of the game too.

"Varun was brilliant in Vijay Hazare. That also helped him to be in the zone against England. He got a couple of fifers and was one of the leading wicket takers (Vijay Hazare). And he is slowly making a mark in 50-over cricket also. I don't see a reason why he cannot be a 50-overs cricketer at the international level. And I see a reason why he can ambitiously think about red-ball also in the future."

"You see when India plays a long Test series like they did in Australia and will be playing in England later this year, there will be no white-ball international matches for us. Apart from the few white-ball internationals, the 14 IPL games, the TNPL doesn't give Varun much scope to evolve around as a spinner. So, he is someone who has searched for white-ball cricket and evolved. And he can work on his bowling in red-ball also. That (red ball) can also be discovered for he has the ability to learn and keep improving. A player needs to expand boundaries, so obviously that is one of the boundaries which I would also like to see him explore,'' Balaji signed off.

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