Replacing Harshit Rana in India\u2019s playing eleven for their final Group A game, Chakaravarthy bamboozled New Zealand with his variations to pick a five-wicket haul in just his second ODI and lead India to the top of the points table in their group.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cVarun was great. Early in his career, he wasn\u2019t very consistent with his lines and lengths. But now, his bowling makes him a very difficult bowler to face. His action naturally makes it look like he\u2019s delivering left-arm spin, but 90 per cent of his deliveries are googlies, making it tough for batsmen who haven\u2019t faced him before.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI don't think many New Zealand batsmen have played against him much, and he will only continue to improve for India. His impressive performance might have created a selection dilemma heading into the semifinals. India will have a tough time deciding, with so many big players to choose from, but Varun Chakaravarthy has been brilliant,\u201d said Rayudu on JioHotstar.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He also praised India\u2019s other spinners for being amongst the wickets and felt New Zealand have to improve their play against spin ahead of their semifinal meeting against South Africa on Wednesday in Lahore.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve seen his (Chakaravarthy's) impact in India, and all the spinners were outstanding \u2014 Jadeja was amazing, and all four spinners bowled exceptionally well. The pitch definitely assisted them, but New Zealand\u2019s batsmen also struggled against spin, which is an area they will need to improve.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rayudu also showered praise on Shreyas Iyer, who rescued India from a top-order collapse with a fine 79, adding that the dynamic right-handed batter showed the importance of a steady number four batter in the line-up.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"The importance of a No. 4 batsman is evident here. You need someone to play such crucial innings when the top order fails, especially on challenging surfaces that are not easy to bat on. That\u2019s where No. 4 and No. 5 become critical in an ODI game.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cShreyas played an amazing innings, and his partnership with Axar Patel was crucial. The ease with which he batted on this pitch was remarkable. He handled short balls well until he got out and played spin beautifully, using the crease and angles to his advantage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"The importance of a No. 4 batsman is evident here. You need someone to play such crucial innings when the top order fails, especially on challenging surfaces that are not easy to bat on. That\u2019s where No. 4 and No. 5 become critical in an ODI game.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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