"Had the length been wrong, it would have gone for a six" - Yuzvendra Chahal on how he dismissed Kieron Pollard

Chahal was adjudged the player of the match in the 1st ODI against the West Indies.

Team India bowler Yuzvendra Chahal revealed how he plotted the dismissal of the big-hitting West Indies captain all-round Kieron Pollard in the first ODI in Ahmedabad.

Chahal enjoyed bowling in home conditions, and was adjudged the player of the match in the nation's 1000th ODI. The leg-spinner picked up figures of 4-49, which included the key wicket of Pollard. The visitors were eventually bowled out for 176 before Team India romped home with six wickets to spare.

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Captain @ImRo45 turns anchor & interviews @yuzi_chahal after #TeamIndia win the first @Paytm #INDvWI ODI in Ahmedabad. 😎 😎 - By @Moulinparikh

Watch the full interview 🎥
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The wily leg-spinner bowled a floated-up full-length delivery first up to Pollard. The explosive batter, expecting a leg-break, opted to go for an expansive shot on the off-side. Chahal, though, had dished out a googly, which turned back in and breached the bat-pad gap. Speaking about the Pollard dismissal, Chahal told captain Rohit Sharma after the match:

"The talk we had before the match about me not bowling many googlies in South Africa, it was on the back of my mind. And I know that hard-hitters, once they decide to go for their shot, they usually do."

"So, as you said, bowling googlies will make my leg-spin more effective, so I mixed it up more today. Especially the plan against Pollard, when you had asked me to pitch it up, had the length been wrong, it would have gone for a six."

Chahal is known for his quirky interviews, but he ended up being interviewed this time. When asked how it felt to reach 100 ODI wickets, the 31-year-old said:

"Feeling really good. It has been a little bit of an up and down career so far in these five years, so it is a good feeling when you take 100 wickets in a format. It is a big thing. Never thought that I would get to the milestone this quick."

Yuzvendra Chahal became the second quickest spinner to reach 100 ODI wickets after fellow wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. He reached the landmark by claiming the wicket of Darren Bravo.

"I used to see other bowlers go a bit side-arm" - Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal was out of the squad for a while after he was snubbed for the 2021 T20 World Cup. He spoke about how he worked on improving himself during his time away from the Indian side. He added:

"I have changed the angle with which I bowl, if the wicket is slow. When I was not in the team, I thought about where I could improve. I used to see other bowlers go a bit side-arm, so while bowling in the nets, I realised that I was able to bowl quicker with it."

Yuzvendra Chahal is adjudged the Man of the Match for his bowling figures of 4/49.

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Following a poor tour of South Africa, the player-of-the-match performance was the perfect way for Yuzvendra Chahal to begin the home season. His performance will be keenly monitored, with the IPL mega auctions approaching.