'Chahal thinks 'I'll bowl tight and get wickets'. It's not going to happen': Gambhir's stern warning to India spinner

Fresh from a highly successful IPL spell where he won the Purple Cap, Chahal returned 1/49 in his four overs in the second T20 International against the Proteas at Cuttack.

Heinrich Klaasen smashed 81 off 46 deliveries to lead South Africa's tricky chase as they beat India by four wickets in the second T20 International on Sunday. Needing 149 for victory in Cuttack, the Proteas rode the stumper's blistering batting show that comprised seven fours and five sixes. It was his fourth T20 half-century, which came off just 41 balls in hot and humid conditions.

Gautam Gambhir and Yuzvendra Chahal (Getty | AP)

For India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up three wickets in the powerplay, leaving the opposition tottering at 29 for three. While the senior paceman rattled South Africa on a tough batting pitch, Klaasen and Bavuma, who made 35, put up a 64-run stand to put the chase back on track. India's main tweaker Yuzvendra Chahal was expensive as well. Fresh from a highly successful IPL spell where he won the Purple Cap, the leggie returned 1/49 in his four overs.

Chahal removed Bavuma in the 13th over but got hit for 23 runs in the 16th. In-form David Miller launched a hit over long-on for a 91-metre six before Klaasen inflicted further damage with two more maximums against the Indian.

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has questioned Chahal's bowling approach, saying the seasoned bowler didn't vary his pace and focussed just on bowling it tight. He labelled wrist-spinner Chahal as an attacking option and said he should have searched for wickets as well.

"It's very important to vary your pace. If Chahal thinks 'I'll bowl tight and get wickets', it's not going to happen. That's the job of a left-arm spinner. A finger spinner is your defensive bowler but a wrist spinner is your attacking option. He (Chahal) needs to have an attacking mindset. He can give 50 runs in four overs. But if he picks up three wickets, he can take the team to a situation from where it can win the match. But if he concedes 40-50 runs and gets just one wicket, it's a problem," Gambhir told Star Sports after the game.

He needs to bowl slow and tempt the batter. No issues if he gets his for a couple of sixes. In the second T20I, none of the SA batters tried to step out against Chahal. They were hitting the leg-spinner from the crease, which means he (Chahal) was trying to bowl it fast. We expect those kinds of deliveries from Axar, not Chahal," he further added.

Notably, stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant had given just 2.1 overs to Chahal in the series opener. The bowler had conceded 26 runs in 13 deliveries in Delhi. Overall, he's now conceded 75 runs in the last two T20 Internationals.

Following India's four-wicket loss on Sunday, Pant admitted that the performance of both Indian spinners, Chahal and Axar, wasn't up to the mark. "The spinners have (need) to come (perform) better into the game," he said at the post-match presentation ceremony.