New Delhi, March 8 (IANS) In the 2025 Champions Trophy, India wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has carved a reputation for turning the game in his side’s favour via his guile and variations. With India set to face New Zealand in the title clash in Dubai on Sunday, former cricketer-turned-coach Lalchand Rajput feels all eyes will be on how the Blackcaps batters stand up to the challenge posed by Chakaravarthy’s wizardry.
In the Group A clash between the two teams last week in Dubai, which India won by 44 runs, Chakaravarthy bamboozled them with his variations to pick 5-42, as the Indian spin quartet accounted for nine wickets. In the semi-final against Australia, Chakaravarthy took two wickets, including dangerous Travis Head in the first power-play.
But with Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson coming into the final on the back of scoring stellar centuries in the semi-final against South Africa in Lahore, the Blackcaps batters versus Chakaravarthy match-up shapes up as a significant match-defining clash.
“It will be a good contest, to be very honest, because as we all know he is a mystery spinner. But New Zealand players have played him in the IPL as well like, Conway, then Rachin Ravindra and even Williamson. So, they have a little bit of idea of how he bowls. But in a big match like this, he is definitely a mystery spinner, because if you try to take him on, you are bound to get out at some stage or another,” said Rajput in an exclusive conversation with IANS from Dubai.
He also feels the other Indian spinners – Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja – will be handy in keeping New Zealand on a tight leash. “But sometimes you might get away, and that is the area where I think we are one step ahead because we have got two spinners like that – Kuldeep and Varun Chakaravarthy. Kuldeep is the other way chinaman, but I think he is also a difficult customer for a batter to really take him on.”
“Then we have got two left-arm spinners (Axar and Jadeja) who really bowl tight. They will just keep the batsmen tight under pressure, and then when that happens, they try to take on other bowlers, and that’s where we get wickets. So, that’s the area where I think we are really one step ahead than other teams.”
In the eight-team competition, New Zealand are the only team closest to India’s spin-bowling resources, led by captain and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, followed by Ravindra, Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell. Rajput, though, thinks Santner will be under more pressure as the Blackcaps will be largely dependent on him to succeed in the final.
“Santner is one of the best spinners they have, that’s for sure. Ravindra also bowls and Bracewell is also there. But I think our batsmen take him on as again, the matchup starts, because some batsmen will take like Shreyas Iyer and all those, they take Bracewell on. Santner, I think, Axar Patel, he takes him on.”
“I still feel that our bowling spinners have got much edge over their bowling. Yes, they have got world-class bowler in Santner. But it depends too much on him because there’s so much pressure on him than our bowlers, because we have got four spinners to bowl at.”
“So, that will be a plus point for Indian spinners that we will be one step ahead of them, because to negotiate four spinners on that pitch where it is little bit on the slower side, it will be difficult for the batsmen.”
There is still a bit of doubt on pacer Matt Henry’s availability, after he injured his right shoulder while taking a catch in Lahore. Henry had picked 5-42 against India in Dubai, and Rajput thinks his absence will be advantageous to the Rohit Sharma-led side.
“He is one of the bowlers who bowls with a good pace and he mixes up well. He got good bouncer, and good yorker as well. Then he bowls a slower one too. If you look at the last game as well, on a slow wicket, he took fifer, and that shows the quality of his bowling as well. If it’s not that, definitely, they will miss him badly. Another thing is that it will be advantage to the Indian batting,” he concluded.
–IANS
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