India Cannot Afford To Exclude Deepak Chahar From The T20 World Cup: Lakshmipathy Balaji
The assumption that Deepak Chahar should have been named to the starting lineup for the upcoming Asia Cup (in T20 format) may not be incorrect. Particularly considering that the Indian team will be without Jasprit Bumrah (injured) and Mohammed Shami (presumably rested or dropped) for the continental championship that gets underway this Saturday in Dubai.
Chahar was re-inducted into the India ODI team for the Zimbabwe tour, which ended on Monday with a 3-0 clean sweep by the KL Rahul-led team.
In the first game in Harare last Thursday, Chahar immediately delivered a man-of-the-match performance with three for 27 in his seven overs. It was the pinnacle of swing bowling.
Deepak Chahar’s Ability To Swing The New Ball Makes Him Special: Lakshmipathy Balaji
Lakshmipathy Balaji, a former Indian pacer and bowling coach for the Chennai Super Kings, preferred to see Chahar play more frequently to help him get into the right mindset before the T20 World Cup. Chahar’s exclusion from the Indian team for the T20 World Cup cannot be afforded.
“What he was doing in Zimbabwe straightaway on his return to international cricket was like he just pressed the resume button and got into his wicket-taking abilities. Chahar has been phenomenal with his work ethic. He has got a lot of variations.
“His ability to bowl swing and seam, and pick up wickets with the new ball makes him special. When you have the skills he has with the new ball, it is a treat to watch. Very rarely do you get to see swing and seam with the new ball in today’s cricket? It is more of hit-the-deck type,” Balaji was quoted as saying by News 18.
“Right from the first ball, he has control. You can see the late swing through the air with the new ball. He needs to play matches continuously. He is looking very fit now. In the UAE, where the new ball skills are needed to make early inroads into the opposition batting, what you want is wickets upfront with the new ball.
“If Chahar gives you those early wickets, you have to look at him as a first-choice. But, there are a lot of bowlers and there is a lot of competition. You want wicket-taking bowlers with the new ball. If Bumrah and Shami are not available, Chahar is the one who provides that,” he further added.
