Batters "under pressure" at Chinnaswamy, bowlers can get more wickets, says Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh believes he and his bowling mates will have "nothing to lose" at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium in the third T20I against Afghanistan on Wednesday. Instead, he said, the opposition batters will be under more pressure to hit boundaries at a ground known as a 'graveyard' for bowlers.
The Chinnaswamy Stadium has been offering flat pitches for bowlers for the past decade. Combining that with its short boundaries and lively outfield, it offers boundaries galore. In T20s in 2023, the average first-innings score at the venue was 195.
"We feel there is nothing to lose here. Batsmen are under pressure because of the feeling that they have to score more boundaries and that is where as a bowler you are in the game. You can get more wickets," Arshdeep said in a press conference before the match.
India will have the extra cushion of having already won the three-match series 2-0 after victories in Mohali and Indore. But that didn't seem to matter to Arshdeep.
"Mindset as a team doesn't work on what the series scoreline and what happened in the last matches. The main motive is to get used to the ground, adapt quickly. We can look at improving and developing match skills," he said.
The fast bowler has had a big role to play in India's success in the series. He went wicketless in the first match but kept his economy rate to seven and then struck back with a brilliant three-wicket spell in the second match.
"The last 12 months have been a mixed bag" - Arshdeep Singh
However, Arshdeep admitted that his 2023 was a "mixed bag" where he struggled against Australia, and got dropped from the team a couple of times before eventually getting his mojo back against South Africa in December.
"The last 12 months have been a mixed bag (of experience). There were a few good performances and I got to learn something new. There were a few ups and downs as well, making my performances neutral," he explained.
The lessons have been pivotal and practical for Arshdeep, who added:
"Specifically, I recently started (bowling) with new ball, especially on slow wickets," he said. "In the last match, I tried a few variations, especially against left-handers, and it worked and it gave me some confidence. Otherwise, I am trying to sharpen my skills."
The third T20I will start at 7:00 pm IST on January 17.