Ex-chief selector miffed with India star's ‘I’ve done well, let me relax’ stance | Cricket - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

‘He thought I’ve done well, let me relax but suddenly…’: Ex-chief selector miffed with India star's poor show

Feb 02, 2023 05:31 PM IST

With all-rounders Axar Patel and Washington Sundar doing the job, it is now getting extremely difficult for Chahal to hold onto his spot in the XI. Former India left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi believes Chahal should request the team management to allow him to play first-class cricket.

Yuzvendra Chahal is not in the most comfortable phases of his career. From being India's No.1 spinner in ODIs and T20Is, he has now fallen behind in the pecking order and is struggling to even hold his position in both formats. His teammate and friend Kuldeep Yadav's roaring comeback has not helped his cause either. He played only two matches (one ODI, and one T20I) in the six limited-overs fixtures in the home series against New Zealand as India preferred to go with Kuldeep Yadav as the lead spinner. The decision proved to be the right one as Kuldeep picked up wickets in almost every match.

Lucknow, Jan 29 (ANI): India's Yuzvendra Chahal celebrates the dismissal of New Zealand's Finn Allen during the 2nd T20I match, at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, in Lucknow on Sunday. (ANI Photo) (BCCI Twitter)
Lucknow, Jan 29 (ANI): India's Yuzvendra Chahal celebrates the dismissal of New Zealand's Finn Allen during the 2nd T20I match, at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, in Lucknow on Sunday. (ANI Photo) (BCCI Twitter)

With all-rounders Axar Patel and Washington Sundar doing the job, it is now getting extremely difficult for Chahal to hold onto his spot in the XI. Former India left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi believes Chahal should request the team management to allow him to play first-class cricket.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

"Over a period any bowler will go through that phase. Chahal is in that phase. Someone like Chahal, who is not able to get game time in the middle, probably should request the team management to go and play domestic cricket. Match time is very important for him to get back into form. That should be the ideal preparation for Chahal," he told ESPNCricinfo.

The former chief selector said Chahal has been given a long rope. "He was an attacking spinner. Everyone gets a little cushioning - okay, theek hai, I've done well now, let me relax a bit. Suddenly by the time you realise that, the pressure is on you."

When asked about the changes Chahal should make in his bowling, Joshi said he should work on his follow-through and release.

"He can really look to finish his follow-through because at times he just pushes the ball [without imparting spin]. When you slow your arm, automatically there are less revolutions on the ball and it's much easier for a batsman to pick him up. Why any spinner will get predictable is because the batsman will know that: "Okay, he's doing only this [releasing the ball without spin], or probably he will go outside the off stump, so if I leave that ball, he will again come back into the stumps [line]" - which is the batsman's strength.

"Chahal needs to focus more on his follow-through, hitting the right length, which is the fourth-stump line, putting more effort into his arm speed, and spinning the ball. Most important is spinning the ball. At times I have seen in the last few series, he really got hit because he was pushing the ball - the seam revolutions were flatter, there was no overspin. For any fingerspinner, the wrist has to move over the top of the seam, and if it goes sideways, then the spinner will be undercutting the ball," the former selector said.

Joshi also gave the example of the legendary Anil Kumble and said whenever the former bowled a googly, it pitched on the fourth-stump line. Chahal needs to do that to bring the lbw and bowled into play.

"Ideally, every ball should be on the fourth-stump line. Most of the googlies he bowls are from the middle stump. You can't bowl a googly from the middle stump. Where did Anil [Kumble] bowl his googlies from? Fifth stump. That is where you drag a batsman to get through the bat-pad gap. You have seen how many times Virat Kohli get out to a legspinner in the last so many IPLs? Did he get out [to a googly] from a middle-stump line? No. Fifth-stump line," he added.

Stay updated with the latest Cricket News, IPL Live Scores, and get exclusive insights with the RCB vs KKR Live Score, IPL 2024 Schedule, match highlights, and more. Explore a comprehensive Cricket Schedule, track the race for the Purple Cap and Orange Cap in IPL 2024, check Virat Kohli performance and stay ahead with all the cricket-related updates on the Hindustan Times website and app.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    At HT Sports Desk, passionate reporters work round the clock to provide detailed updates from the world of sports. Expect nuanced match reports, previews,reviews, technical analysis based on statistics, the latest social media trends, expert opinions on cricket, football, tennis, badminton, hockey,motorsports, wrestling, boxing, shooting, athletics and much more.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On