Indian national cricket team spinner Varun Chakravarthy talks about his performance with the ball in the first T20I against England. He rated his bowling a 7 out of 10 and said he still needs more work in some areas.

In the first match of the five-match T20I series, the Indian national cricket team defeated the England national cricket team by 7 wickets. The match between the two teams takes place on Wednesday (January 22) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Varun Chakravarthy returns with figures of 3/23 in first T20I against England

One of the main reasons for the victory of the Indian national cricket team is spinner Varun Chakravarthy. The enigmatic spinner broke the backbone of the England national cricket team and ensured that he helped the team end the match with a lower total.

Chakravarthy stepped in on the power play and it didn’t take long to create impact with the ball. He struck and dismissed Harry Brooke and Liam Livingstone in the second over to send his side back into action at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Varun Chakravarthy then also removed Jos Buttler to take three wickets. The Indian national cricket team spinner returned with figures of 3/23 in the first T20I. With his impressive ability with the ball, he helped India defeat England by just 132 runs.

I am still 7 against 10 and there is more work to do – Varun Chakravarthy

Talking about his performance with the ball, Chakravarty said that he has become accustomed to this pitch because of the IPL. He spoke about his plans early on and while speaking after the match, the Indian national cricket team spinner said:

“I’m still 7-on-10 and there’s more work to do. I’m used to seeing pitches like this in the IPL. I know it’s for seamers but I know some length will help me. What I realized was that I couldn’t beat batsmen with sidespin, the only way was through bounce.”

Pitching to batsmen like Jos and others is a challenge – Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy said he wanted the ball to curve away from the batsman. He spoke to Jos Buttler about his plans and admitted that the final over was challenging but he thanked God that he managed it. He added:

“I tried to keep it away from their arc and it held up a bit. Bowling at Eden Gardens was challenging every over. Bowling to batsmen like Jos and others was definitely challenging. The final overs were very tricky. and challenging, but by God’s grace, I succeeded.”

He hopes to continue playing in the second game and help the team win. The next game will be played on Saturday (January 25).

Also read: Watch: Hardik Pandya bowls to defenseless Jos Buttler, batsman falls during T20I match in Kolkata