The last time when Yuzvendra Chahal bowled in an international game in Bangalore, he wrecked havoc by bowling a vicious spell of 4-0-25-6. Riding on Chahal’s spell, Indian team bundled out England on a score of 127, to win the third and the final T20I by a margin of 75 runs.
(Read Here: England Ashes squad 2017/18)
Bangalore is the second home for Chahal as he has been the member of the city based Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise and it was during his stint with this franchise only when he was called in the Indian team and has enjoyed much success till now.
(Read Here: Kevin Pietersen comment on Ben Stokes)
In the ongoing series against Australia, Chahal has grabbed a total of six wickets, and he has made Glenn Maxwell his bunny. In all the three contests, it is Chahal who has dismissed the aggressive batsmen.
In two occasions, he induced the batsman to come out and hit him, and in the quest to do so, Chahal found Maxwell outside the crease, with MS Dhoni dislodging the bails till the time he came back. His place in the side has been questioned by many, but still, he is expected to be part of playing XI.
Talking of the Indian team, the Virat Kohli led side will look to continue the winning streak and add one more victory in the account, to put a step forward in accomplishing a full whitewash against Australia. There remain two games in the series, and Steven Smith will be looking to rejuvenate the Aussie camp by pushing the team for a win.
On the eve of the game, Yuzvendra Chahal addressed a press conference and discussed team India’s plan for penultimate ODI. He also said that team India is gunning for a 5-0 win. Here are excerpts from the press conference –
On his camaraderie with Kuldeep Yadav –
I know him for a very long time. We have played with each other a lot. If I bowl first, then I tell him that the wicket is providing this kind of assistance. If he bowls first, then he tells me that the wicket is offering turn and that this is the right area to bowl to certain batsmen. The combination is good. Before the match, we discuss how the wickets will behave. We also discuss what ball to bowl to which batsmen. We always have plans.
On Glenn Maxwell –
My plan to Maxwell is not to bowl at the stumps. That is his wrong area. I tend to bowl outside the off stump and I vary my pace. I know that if I can bowl 2-3 dot balls, he will step out and try to play an aggressive shot. However, in order to beat the batsman, the line and length have to be perfect. I always maintain that.
I am not aware of any changes. That decision is normally taken on the day of the match. Although we have won the series, we are gunning for a 5-0 whitewash. We may be leading 3-0, we will not take it easy because our ultimate target is a whitewash.
On playing in Bangalore –
The wicket at the M Chinnaswamy stadium has changed in the last couple of years. The wicket now is offering more turn to the spinners. It is a bit slow and there is grip, which was not there earlier. The boundaries here are small but if there is assistance in the wicket, you can get the wickets.