India Legend, Sunil Gavaskar was full of praise for the Indian team's overall display in the opening T20I against New Zealand, while offering a measured
assessment of Varun Chakaravarthy's outing in Nagpur.
India began their five-match series in emphatic fashion, registering a commanding 48-run win to strengthen their build-up towards the Men's T20 World Cup.
Asked to bat first, India piled on a massive 238/7 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium. Opener Abhishek Sharma set the tone with a blistering 84 off just 35 balls, while captain Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh chipped in with impactful cameos to keep the scoring rate soaring. The aggressive batting display ensured New Zealand were always under pressure in the chase.
India struck early with the ball, removing Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra inside the powerplay. However, Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman steadied the innings with a counter-attacking partnership that briefly threatened to keep the visitors in contention. Despite that resistance, India's bowlers struck at key moments to regain control and close out the match comfortably.
Chakaravarthy finished with figures of 2/37 from his four overs, conceding runs but delivering breakthroughs. Gavaskar acknowledged that the mystery spinner appeared slightly off-colour but highlighted the positives in his performance and mindset.
"Varun looked a little rusty, but that's understandable. He picked up two wickets and the economy rate, when the batters are going hell-bent for leather, was pretty decent as well. The important thing is that his body language was good. Often, you know, his body language, sometimes when he's taken for a few runs, can be a little bit down," Gavaskar said on JioStar.
"That didn't happen. He was walking back to the mark, upright, wasn't looking fazed by the fact that he'd been hit for a couple of sixes, and that's always a very good sign. That's a very encouraging sign from a player who sometimes gives the impression of not having enough confidence and belief in his ability. He's a magician, make no mistake. He bowls brilliantly. "
Gavaskar further underlined the importance of belief for the spinner while praising the team's start to the series.
"I think it's always good to start with a win, so no complaints whatsoever. I think India did brilliantly to get to 238 and then they bowled really well. Yes, the odd catch went down, but all around the performance was very, very heartening. "
