It was a sensational all-round performance from the Indian team to seal the first of the three-match T20I series with a seven-wicket victory at the New Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium in Gwalior. Arshdeep Singh, the left-arm pacer, was excellent with the new ball, gifting the Blue Brigade a few early wickets to make a rollicking start.
Arshdeep Singh, who was the joint leading wicket-taker of the recent Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA) with 17 scalps in eight innings at an average of under 13 and a strike rate of below 11 with a best bowling figure of 4/9 in an inning, showed his magic with the ball.
The Madhya Pradesh-born pacer broke the stumps of the opener Parvez Hossain Emon, with a delivery that took the inside edge of his blade and rolled onto the stumps for an individual score of just eight runs. Litton Das found Rinku Singh’s hands after playing the pull shot a little early in the innings without judging the pace of the delivery.
Arshdeep Singh excited for firing Arshdeep Singh on T20I debut
The veteran fast bowler displayed his excitement after watching the breathtaking and firing spell of the debutant Mayank Yadav during the opening T20I game, where he made life tough for the Bangladesh batter with his speed of the deliveries.
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The very first over of the Delhi pacer was a maiden one before he found Mahmudullah’s wicket, who thumped the ball straight into the hands of Washington Sundar. He constantly notched up high pacer and tested the speed gun by going over the 145 km mark, but he was wise enough to vary his pace at different game instances.
“Excited with the way everyone bowled, especially Mayank. Even my normal balls felt like slower balls compared to his pace.” Arshdeep Singh expressed at the end of the game after he won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his incredible spell of 3/14 in 3.5 overs.
Mayank Yadav, the 22-year-old for the Lucknow Super Giants in the recent Indian Premier League, took center stage with his aggressive bowling, where he picked up seven wickets in the four games he featured in. The average under 13, with a strike rate of around ten balls and an economy rate of nearly seven, was the most exciting factor of his bowling before he got injured.
Arshdeep Singh was also brilliant with the ball as he now sits as the fifth-highest wicket-taker for India in the 20-over format of the game. The left-arm pacer has collected 86 scalps in 55 innings at an average of under 19 and a strike rate of below 14, with a best bowling figure of 4/9 in an innings.
“There was some breeze from the side I was bowling, so I used that. I didn’t get the wickets the way I wanted, but that’s okay. It’s just minor changes in the run-up, in the wrist.” The 25-year-old noted at the post-match presentation ceremony.
The veteran has also highlighted the importance of adaption for the format and how different pitches and conditions could push the bowlers to change their techniques in the game.
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“It’s just exploring how I can get better and trying out things. The experience is there. The more you play, the better you get. In this format, the best thing you can do is adapt to different pitches and conditions.” The Punjab bowler, Arshdeep Singh, shed light.
India will look to seal the series with a 2-0 margin during the second game at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.