Shamik Chakrabarty in Cuttack
Will Varun Chakaravarthy go to the Champions Trophy? Well, he has a definite chance. He has been drafted into the squad as an additional member for the ongoing ODI series against England. On Sunday in Cuttack, he made his debut in 50-over internationals.
India’s provisional squad for the Champions Trophy doesn’t have Varun, but changes can be made until February 11. Prior to that on Monday, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir are likely to have a conversation. The 33-year-old from Tamil Nadu is expected to be firmly in their scheme of things.
In that context, India had to play Varun in the second ODI. The first match in Nagpur, too, presented an opportunity, but Kuldeep Yadav was returning from a long injury lay-off and his match fitness needed to be judged. Kuldeep bowled 9.4 overs in Nagpur and bagged a wicket for 53 runs. He looked rusty. The left-arm wrist-spin bowler needs overs under his belt to get into the groove before the ICC event and from that perspective, he should have played in the second ODI as well. But the team management needed to have a look at Varun and the change was understandable. Leaving out Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel could have affected the team balance.
Varun’s progression in the ODI squad is a carry-over effect of his current form in T20Is. Yes, he had 18 wickets, including a couple of five-fors, from six matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. But a tally of 14 scalps in the five T20Is against England that preceded the ongoing ODI series tilted the scale in his favour. The Barabati pitch was good for batting and Varun put in a very decent performance – 1/54 from 10 overs – on debut.
For the Latest Sports News: Click Here
He was brought into the attack in the ninth over, and England braced up for a déjà vu moment. The longer format, however, allowed their batsmen to be circumspect against their tormentor in the T20Is. Phil Salt and Ben Duckett chose to be cautious. But Salt would soon throw caution to the wind, as a tossed-up delivery made him excited. The ball drifted in the air, and as the opener attempted a cross-batted heave, he spooned a catch to Jadeja at mid-on.
Varun welcomed Joe Root with a googly and pinned him on the pad. The on-field umpire negated the lbw appeal, but India reviewed. The ball, though, did a bit too much, as confirmed by the ball-tracker. Root survived, but Varun grew in confidence. His first-spell figures read: 6-0-26-1. It was a good beginning.
“Right now, we are not thinking about whether we are going to take him (to the Champions Trophy) or not, but definitely he will be in contention,” Rohit had said about Varun ahead of the first ODI in Nagpur. “If things pan out really well for us and he does what is required, then definitely there’s something that we need to think about.”
On his ODI debut, Varun gave a good account of himself. Has he done enough to earn an eleventh-hour selection for the Champions Trophy?
Also Read: Not his best, but undoubtedly a special Rohit Sharma hundred