Varun Chakravarthy Spins a Web of Mystery to Dazzle England

Varun Chakravarthy, India's ace T20I spinner, showcased his mystery spin to earn Player of the Match honors in the first T20I against England. By focusing on pace variations and bounce, Chakravarthy's unpredictable deliveries bewildered English batters, taking crucial wickets and steering India to a comfortable victory.

India's celebrated T20I spinner Varun Chakravarthy has unveiled the key tactic behind his mysterious bowling, following a standout performance in the first T20I against England at Eden Gardens.

Chakravarthy, a local Kolkata hero, artfully applied his unique variations to leave the English batters confounded. It was not the turn but the mingling of pace and surface-generated bounce that enhanced his effectiveness.

Despite his mastery of the elusive googly, the 33-year-old Chakravarthy focused on varying his pace to prevent batsmen from getting comfortable. "I've been working on varying my pace. I don't want batters to anticipate my deliveries," he explained on Disney+ Hotstar.

As India, having won the toss, opted to field first, Arshdeep Singh made an electrifying impact with his killer pace and swing, leaving England's openers Ben Duckett and Phil Salt reeling.

With the stage set, Chakravarthy had ample opportunity to unleash his "mystery box" against England's middle order. Identifying bounce as the key to success, he adjusted his strategy accordingly, thwarting a potential partnership between Buttler and Brook with precise counteraction.

The young prodigy Brook fell for 17, followed by Livingstone's dismissal for a duck in the same over. England's diminishing hopes of honing in on the 150-run target rested heavily on Buttler's shoulders.

However, Buttler's attempt at aggression was curtailed at 68 off 44 balls when Nitish Reddy took a spectacular catch to seal his fate. England could only muster 132 runs, a target that India chased with ease, as Chakravarthy rounded off his spell with commendable figures of 3/23. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)