Internet Desk: Indian cricket team’s ace leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took his first five-for in international cricket today as he and his fellow teammate Kuldeep Yadav took 8 wickets together to rattle the Proteas line-up. The South African batsmen failed to pick the trick of these two as they were all-out on just 118 runs at Centurion in the second ODI. After destroying the Proteas batting line-up, Chahal said that he always goes for wicket as he knows that his skipper is always there to back him if the batsman hits him for a six.
“I go for wickets, I flight the ball. I know it can go for six too, but when your captain and your team back you, it gives you the confidence to do it,” said Chahal while talking to the media in the post match press-conference.
Chahal also thinks that a leg-spinner always needs a big heart to bowl.”It is very important. Especially because I have payed for RCB, you have to play to your strength there. If you worry about the batsmen or his stature, then you can’t play to your strength. I don’t look at the batsmen, I play to my strength,” added Chahal.
Chahal and Kuldeep both varied their pace while bowling in first two ODI matches. Many times they bowled a bit fas and in the next ball they bowled slow. Chahal also reveled the secret about why they varied their pace.
“Playing on flat tracks, you have to vary your pace. You cannot bowl at one pace. There is bounce available on these pitches. If you bowl fast, the ball won’t turn and it will come on to the bat. That’s why Kuldeep and I vary our pace.”
“We are bowling the way we bowl in India. We are just bowling to our strengths. And we are reading the pitches very well,” added Chahal.
On being asked why they have changed their lengths in South Africa as they used to bowl with different length in India Chahal said,”You won’t get the turn here what you get in India. The ball won’t turn from under the bat. So you have to keep the ball away from the bat so that it gets time to turn. Also you can then use the bounce on these pitches. Batsmen who don’t use their feet, you have to keep the ball a little bit away from them. Kuldeep and I discussed to bowl either right up or back of a length.”
He also thanked skipper Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni who always helped him during the game. “Virat bhaiya lets us take the field we want. He tells us it doesn’t matter if we are hit for a six, we must bowl to our strength. If your strength is to pitch it up, bowl it up. When your captain tells you that, you don’t have to worry even if you have been hit for two or three sixes.
“Behind the stumps Mahi bhai always keeps advising you. He knows what the batsman is going to try. It makes it easier for us.”