"There is no doubt that Yuzvendra Chahal is your best white-ball spinner" - Aakash Chopra lauds leg-spinner's spell in 2nd Ind-Eng ODI
Aakash Chopra has lauded Yuzvendra Chahal for bowling an excellent spell in the second ODI between Team India and England. He also questioned the decision to rest the leg-spinner for the upcoming T20I series against West Indies.
Chahal returned figures of 4/47 in his 10 overs in the second ODI on Thursday, July 14. His spell helped Team India bowl out England for 246 but their batters were found wanting as Rohit Sharma and Co. lost the match by a massive margin of 100 runs.
While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was all praise for Chahal, saying:
"Yuzi Chahal - that's another incredible story. There is no doubt that Yuzvendra Chahal is your best white-ball spinner and despite that, you had not kept him in the T20 World Cup - first mistake."
The former Indian opener raised questions about the wily leg-spinner being given too many breaks in T20I cricket, explaining:
"Now also I am feeling that you are going to play him in the ODI series but not the T20Is against West Indies. Here also in the T20 series he played just two matches, played only one match in Ireland."
Chopra asked why a spinner has to play so few matches unless he has himself asked for a break. He pointed out that the likes of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh never took a break from international cricket.
"He picked up four huge wickets" - Aakash Chopra on Yuzvendra Chahal's spell in the 2nd ODI
Speaking about Chahal's spell in the second ODI, Chopra highlighted that the leg-spinner picked up four big scalps. He elaborated:
"Jonny Bairstow was playing well but both he and Joe Root were dismissed by Chahal. He picked up four huge wickets. It was not a pitch where there was a lot of movement. It was not a pitch where Bumrah and Shami will open them up and you will not need anything after that."
The reputed commentator added that Chahal showcased his class while scalping the wickets of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali.
"Class was required here, it was required to bowl slower, whether you talk about Joe Root, who was hit on his pads, or Jonny Bairstow, whose stumps were rocked. After that, he dismissed Ben Stokes leg-before and then got Moeen Ali caught in the deep."
Yuzvendra Chahal has the best ODI bowling figures at Lords by an Indian 🔥🇮🇳
#yuzvendrachahal #CricketTwitter #engvind #IndianCricketTeam https://t.co/GUsfD69BJl
Yuzvendra Chahal's dismissals of Root, Bairstow and Stokes reduced England to a score of 102/5 at one stage. However, Moeen Ali (47) and David Willey (41) helped them recover to post a total of 246, which proved a bridge too far for Team India in the end.