In the opening match of the five-match T20I series between India and England at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata, the hosts triumphed with a commanding seven-wicket victory. India now leads the series 1-0, thanks to a scintillating performance by their ace spinner, Varun Chakravarthy, who dismantled the English batting lineup with his clever variations and pinpoint accuracy.
Chakravarthy’s spell was the cornerstone of India’s success. The right-arm leg spinner bowled a remarkable four-over spell, claiming three crucial wickets while conceding just 23 runs. His performance earned him the Player of the Match award and widespread praise from cricketing pundits, including former England captain Michael Vaughan.
Micheal Vaughan lauds Varun Chakravarthy’s brilliance
Impressed by Chakravarthy’s brilliance, Vaughan praised Indian spinner Chakravarthy, highlighting his skillful and deceptive craft. The former England batter described the Tamil Nadu bowler as a “lovely mystery spinner” who brings the ball back into right-handers, occasionally holds one up, and consistently targets the stumps. While not a big turner of the ball, his subtle variations make him challenging to face. Vaughan emphasized Chakravarthy’s consistency and intelligence, urging England to adopt a different approach to counter him.
“Chakravarthy is a lovely mystery spinner – kind of brings the ball back into the right-handers. Every now and again, he will just hold one up. He’s not a huge spinner of the ball, but just does enough, which makes it very difficult – always brings the stumps into play. He is very consistent and also very smart. England have got to find a different method of trying to put him under pressure,” Vaughan said in an interview with Cricbuzz.
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Vaughan praises Chakravarthy’s craftsmanship
Vaughan further expressed his admiration for Chakravarthy’s bowling, highlighting his understated, old-fashioned celebration style of simply walking away after taking a wicket. “I love watching him bowl because when he gets a wicket, he doesn’t celebrate. He just kind of walks away in an old-fashioned kind of celebration, ” former England skipper added.
