Ahead of the 16th over of Ireland’s innings, Arshdeep Singh was recalled to bowl his final over. He had impressive figures of 2 for 18 prior to that and, after bowling well initially, he was expected to close out the Ireland innings. He ended up conceding 17 runs, allowing two fours, a six, and even a no-ball – making it the most productive over for the Irish. It was a rare bad over from an Indian bowler on a pitch that had been a nightmare for the batters.
Arshdeep was equally profligate in the fifth over of the innings, if not as expensive. He bowled a 10-ball over and conceded 13 runs. On a pitch that appeared treacherous for the batters, particularly in the beginning, this 13-run over was against the run of play. Control was crucial, but the left-arm pacer struggled to maintain it.
“We did not want to be greedy for wickets. Jassi Bhai (Jasprit Bumrah) was there to keep me in control and remind me to keep things simple,” said Arshdeep, who finished with figures of 2 for 35, which included two of the three most expensive overs in the Ireland innings. An objective look at those numbers reveals that the runs he conceded account for nearly 40 per cent of Ireland’s total of 96. Despite Bumrah’s guidance, control was not his strong point in those two overs.
Swing upfront is Arshdeep’s strength. He relies heavily on rhythm, and if it’s even slightly off, things can go very wrong, as seen in that 10-ball over. He tried to bring the ball in but ended up bowling down the leg side for five runs in the sixth over. Attempting to amend this, he bowled in the opposite direction and conceded another wide.
This could be indicative of a lack of control, compounded by a faltering rhythm at that juncture. Arshdeep finds himself releasing the ball either too early or too late, disrupting his accuracy. Such waywardness often manifests during the death overs, where he struggles to execute the yorker. The root cause of this could be lack of control and in his constantly shifting release points, influenced by variations in his run-up speed and approach. These factors tend to get stronger as the pressure mounts towards the end of a T20 match. However, in Wednesday’s relatively one-sided contest, where little pressure was exerted, Arshdeep’s off-colour finish undid a bit of how he had started off.
Arshdeep was chosen over T Natarajan, who was immensely effective in the recent IPL, particularly during the death overs – a factor that may have potentially contributed to the SunRisers Hyderabad’s journey to the IPL final, alongside their strong opening batting. While both bowlers claimed 19 wickets in 14 games during the 2024 IPL season, Natarajan boasts superior figures in the death overs. He has claimed 11 wickets in 20 overs with an economy rate of 9.5, compared to Arshdeep, who managed 10 wickets in 18 overs with an economy rate of 11 which could be a significant differentiator in T20s.
There was a reason behind preference for Arshdeep by the national selectors and team management: he excels at bowling the most challenging overs of an innings. While his ability to bring the ball back to a right-handed batters is notable, insiders and members of the selection committee, both past and present, emphasize his exceptional courage on the field to bowl the most difficult overs. Coach Rahul Dravid, in particular, is said to be impressed by Arshdeep’s willingness to take responsibility of bowling the challenging overs – primarily the first six and last four.
Moreover, his unforgettable dismissal of Babar Azam during the last Twenty20 World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground still resonates among Indian team members. It was a remarkable first delivery that saw the Pakistan skipper trapped on the crease by a swinging full-length ball. It marked a dream start.
When questioned about it on Wednesday, Arshdeep humbly stated that he wasn’t dwelling on the past. “At this stage, I am thinking of resting for a day. My family has come and we will go sightseeing in New York. We will practise a day later and will see what happens on June 9,” Arshdeep said.
As bigger challenges and high-pressure encounters await, India could do with more of the Arshdeep that delivered in the powerplay as opposed to how he finished his spell.
