Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium: Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh said on Sunday that bowling in the death over with the ball reversing was always an enjoyable exercise, as he played a pivotal role in India defending 223 to beat West Indies by 14 runs in the third T20I here at the Holkar Stadium on Sunday.
Named Player of the Match for his figures of 3-44, Arshdeep made the early breakthrough by castling the in-form Shai Hope in the second over. Kamil Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer both made scores in the 40s, but India never allowed the visitors to get ahead of the required rate.
The contest stayed alive as long as Sherfane Rutherford was at the crease, until Arshdeep produced a phenomenal yorker to shatter his middle stump, and took Keemo Paul too to ensure the contest ended in India’s favour and help the hosts take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
"It was pretty nice, the ball was reversing a bit and it's always pretty fun to bowl at the death with some reverse swing," said Arshdeep to broadcasters at the conclusion of the game.
On how the team deals with an off day, where he doesn’t get a scalp, Arshdeep said, "There is no such thing as a leader or senior in the team. It's a chill environment and anytime someone has a bad day, we put an arm around our shoulders and tell them it's fine.
“As an international cricketer you know you will have good days and bad days and you'll come back to do well. I personally love it when batters go hard at you in all phases because that's when you can test your skills and mental strength."
Arshdeep also explained how he approaches changing conditions. "The main focus is just to come early and bowl a little with new ball and old ball and adapt to the conditions. The schedule is always tight and the team that adapts early comes out on the right side of the result."
“As an international cricketer you know you will have good days and bad days and you'll come back to do well. I personally love it when batters go hard at you in all phases because that's when you can test your skills and mental strength."
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Article Source: IANS