Anil Kumble, the legendary leg-spinner, has lauded Varun Chakaravarthy for his outstanding performance of taking 5 wickets for 42 runs in India’s victory against New Zealand by 44 runs in the ICC Champions Trophy. Kumble stated that Chakaravarthy has consistently been a match-winner for his teams in the last year and a half. This recent performance is a great sign for the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team.
At the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, Chakaravarthy achieved bowling figures of 5-42, which is the best in the current tournament, in just his second ODI. His performance bewildered New Zealand and ensured India topped Group A.
Chakaravarthy was a late inclusion in India’s Champions Trophy squad, replacing the left-handed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. This decision raised questions about whether India had too many spinners for the slow pitches of Dubai. However, Chakaravarthy and India proved this decision to be beneficial on Sunday.
Kumble mentioned that Varun has been exceptional in the past 1 to 1.5 years, consistently securing wins for every team he has represented, be it Tamil Nadu, KKR, or India in T20Is. He is now getting an opportunity in ODIs, especially since India had already qualified for the next stage.
Kumble added that considering the pitch and conditions, especially for the semi-final and potentially the final for India, this performance is a positive indication.
Chakaravarthy, who is from Chennai, first bowled out Will Young. Later, he returned in the middle overs to dismiss Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell in successive overs. He then took the wicket of Mitchell Santner and Matt Henry on the very next ball, completing his remarkable five-wicket haul.
Chakaravarthy might have another opportunity to shine for India when they play against Australia in the first Champions Trophy semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday. Kumble further believes that if India continues to use four spinners in the crucial semi-final match, Australia will find it challenging.
Kumble concluded by saying that if the pitches in Dubai remain the same, then this strong spin attack of four bowlers will pose a significant challenge for any team, and Australia would find it very difficult to handle these spinners.
