After helping India beat England in the T20I series opener by seven wickets at the Eden Gardens with an incredible 3/23, wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy said that his focus will always be on making progress in his bowling, irrespective of the phase of the game he’s in.
Chakaravarthy’s spell included him castling Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone in quick succession before taking out captain Jos Buttler to break the back of England’s batting as they were bundled out for 132.
“95% of my focus is on myself because if I remove it from myself and put it on the batter, I'll miss my process and end up bowling a full toss or a short ball. Even if it's the death over or the powerplay, my focus remains on my process. I don't think much about what the batter is going to do, but it does run in the back of my mind," said Chakaravarthy in an interview with the digital broadcasters.
He also revealed he's trying to make his deliveries harder to predict by adding variations to the pace he bowls at, apart from continuing to bowl with over-spin. “I've worked on trying to vary my pace. I don't want batters to line me up because I'm bowling at the same speed every ball. That's what I've worked on, and I'm trying to perfect it further.”
Chakravarthy signed off by expressing happiness over coming good at a venue he knows by the back of his hand, as it’s the home ground of his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders. “It’s very nice. Playing against England, a quality side, at Eden Gardens is challenging. It’s a small ground. I was nervous in the morning looking at the pitch and the boundary size, but I thought if I stick to my process, I'll be able to do well."
India have a 1-0 lead in the five-match series and will take on England in the second T20I at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday (Jan 25).
(With inputs from agencies)