Champions Trophy: Harbhajan Singh explains Varun Chakravarthy's 'magic portion'
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer, Harbhajan Singh, has revealed what he calls the 'magic portion' behind Varun Chakravarthy's phenomenal bowling abilities. The mystery spinner was instrumental in India's win over New Zealand in their last Group A match of the ICC Champions Trophy. His brilliant performance helped him take five wickets for 42 runs, guiding India to a 44-run victory.
Limited exposure
Harbhajan attributes Chakravarthy's success to limited international exposure
Harbhajan Singh feels Varun Chakravarthy's lack of experience in international cricket is one of the reasons behind his success. "See, the magic portion is he's not played much cricket. That is number one," he said on Star Sports. He added that teams still don't know what Varun has to offer and commit the mistake of trying to read him from the length that he is bowling.
Importance
Harbhajan emphasizes the importance of observing Chakravarthy's hand
Harbhajan Singh stressed on the need for batters to watch Varun's hand, to know how the ball is spinning. He said, "People are trying to read him after pitching the ball, which is a very difficult thing." He pointed out that this was a mistake New Zealand players made during their match against India.
Praise
Harbhajan praises Chakravarthy's confidence and past performance
Harbhajan Singh praised Varun for his confidence and past performance. He said, "He's one of those bowlers, full of confidence, and he took a lot of wickets against England." The former cricketer expressed hope that Varun's successful run will continue in the semi-finals as well as finals of the Champions Trophy. Notably, Varun made a comeback to the Indian team last year, having last played in 2021.
Strategy
Harbhajan advocates for 4 spinners in upcoming matches
Meanwhile, Harbhajan suggested India should stick to the same team and play with four spinners in the semi-final and possibly, the final of the tournament. He said, "We have seen what spinners can do on this wicket. Four spinners against Australia." He feels spin will be the key in these matches and lauded India's decision to pick four spinners for this tournament.