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‘It’s not chess': Yuzvendra Chahal doesn't mind being spectator as Dravid and Co. show faith in others in WI series
Despite being an excellent bowler, Chahal was completely overlooked in the three-match ODI series against West Indies.
Team India has emerged as one of the most formidable units in cricket, a part of which can be credited to the amount of talent available in the country. The fact was also acknowledged by cricket great Brian Lara while interacting with swashbuckling openers Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan after the recently-concluded ODI series. The ex-West Indies skipper, who is also a part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise, believes that with the talent in store, India can easily field “a second XI and even a third XI.”
While Lara could be somewhat right, the abundance of talent sometimes also force the management to take strong calls. A similar case is seen with India's leading spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who despite being an excellent bowler, was completely overlooked in the three-match ODI series against West Indies, which India had won 2-1. Chahal's absence was hardly felt as three premier spinners – Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav – were seen operating the slow bowling department.
The leg-spinner enjoyed the show from the sidelines before eventually returning to the XI in the first T20I, which India lost by four runs. However, Chahal doesn't mind being a spectator if the team is doing well before listing out the elements that are taken into consideration before deciding the playing XI.
"I'm happy that I get a chance to wear the Blue Jersey and I'm not at home but traveling with the team. It is not an individual game, I've played chess, which is an individual game. This is a team game and when 15 players walk together, out of which 11 plays and we win matches.
“I've not been playing in the last two-three series. Previously you would have seen me playing in England or West Indies and Kuldeep (Yadav) was not playing then. We need to look at the team combination, you're playing against whom and where are you playing. If tomorrow there is a turning wicket here then you can also field three spinners in the XI,” Chahal said at the pre-match press conference ahead of the 2nd T20I, which will be played at the Providence Stadium, Guyana on Sunday.
Chahal returned with clinical figures reading 2/24 in three overs in the series opener and is most likely to retain his spot in the XI for the second T20I. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly in an interaction with Star Sports last month had expressed surprise over how Chahal misses out in the big ICC events. “(Ravi) Bishnoi and Kuldeep (Yadav) are there but (Yuzvendra) Chahal somehow misses big tournaments. He performs extremely consistently in shorter formats, whether it is 20-over or 50-over. It is important to keep an eye on him as well,” said Ganguly as he tried to explain the importance of wrist spinners at the ODI World Cup.
