"Very difficult; I felt like a finger spinner today" - Yuzvendra Chahal on bowling in the cold conditions during 1st T20I vs IrelandÂ
Team India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal opened up about bowling in the challenging cold conditions of Ireland during the first T20I. The capital city of Dublin had a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius during the match, which began after a heavy rain spell.
While the cloud cover and the green tinge on the pitch leaned towards the side of the pacers, it was Chahal who ended up as the pick of the bowlers. The leg-spinner bowled three overs, including the penultimate over, where he only conceded 11 runs. He also claimed the wicket of Lorcan Tucker and was later adjudged player of the match in the series opener.
Speaking about bowling in the cold and windy conditions, Chahal said in the post-match presentation:
Very difficult (in these cold conditions). I felt like a finger spinner today. Sometimes it's hard but you have to adapt to every condition. "He (skipper Hardik) gave liberty to bowl whatever I want to bowl. The atmosphere is pretty chilly. I'm wearing three sweaters right now."
The leg-spinner continues to make a strong case for his inclusion in the 2022 T20 World Cup as the lead spinner. The 31-year-old had a rough start to the home series against South Africa, but bounced back in style with a match-winning spell in Vizag.
Chahal's spell helped India restrict Ireland to 108
The contest was reduced to 12 overs due to a delayed start following a heavy spell of rain in Dublin. While the pacers set up the platform in the powerplay, Ireland managed to switch gears quickly, using the small boundaries. Led by 22-year-old Harry Tector's unbeaten fifty, Ireland posted 108-4 in their innings.
Chahal and Bhuvneshwar, being the bowlers to have bowled three overs, were key in restricting the run flow. Despite the challenging short boundary dimensions, the leg-spinner was the most economical bowler on show.
A niggle to Ruturaj Gaikwad meant that India had to slightly tweak their batting order. All-rounder Deepak Hooda was promoted to the top of the order alongside Ishan Kishan.
While Hooda struggled a bit initially, he made amends after Craig Young struck twice in a row to dismiss Ishan Kishan and the returning Suryakumar Yadav. The all-rounder remained unbeaten on 47 and closed out the chase with 16 balls to spare.