Rating Myself: Varun Chakaravarthy Reflects on Player-of-the-Match Performance Against England, Acknowledges Areas for Improvement

Despite his outstanding performance that led to a comprehensive victory over England in the first T20I, Varun Chakaravarthy remained humble and rated himself a modest 7 out of 10. The talented spinner's commitment to continual improvement was evident as he reflected on his Player of the Match-winning effort of 3/23 at Eden Gardens, a ground he is familiar with. "I still see myself as a 7 out of 10, there's always room for improvement," Chakaravarthy commented after the match.

Chakaravarthy’s spell was a masterclass in exploiting conditions. With India bundling out England for a meager 132, the spinner, who represents the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, stood out by prioritising bounce over turn on a pitch that generally favors seamers.

“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 are helpful for me. What I realised was I can't beat batsmen with a side-spin. The only way I can beat the batsmen is through bounce,” he explained.

The groundwork for Chakaravarthy’s success was laid by Arshdeep Singh, whose fiery spell of 2/17 removed England openers Ben Duckett and Phil Salt early. With a stable foundation to work from, Chakaravarthy began dismantling England’s middle order, starting with Harry Brook, who was caught for 17. Two balls later, he sent Liam Livingstone packing with a two-ball duck.

However, Chakaravarthy’s crowning moment came when he dismissed England skipper Jos Buttler, who had held the innings together with a defiant 68 off 44 balls. Attempting a pull shot, Buttler misjudged Chakaravarthy’s clever variation and was caught at deep square leg by Nitish Reddy.

Reflecting on the challenging final overs, Chakaravarthy said, “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 and other guys is definitely challenging. The last over was very tricky and challenging, but by God's grace, I was successful.”

India cruise to easy win

England’s innings folded for a sub-par 132, a target India chased down with ease thanks to Abhishek Sharma’s blistering 79. While India now lead the series 1-0, Chakaravarthy’s remarkable consistency despite a significant break from India's last T20I (played in November last year) remains a key takeaway from the match, marking him as a crucial asset in India’s T20 plans.

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