Revelling in his return to the Indian One-Day International team for the upcoming South Africa tour, Yuzvendra Chahal on Friday said he is enjoying the 50-over format and his time in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
“In T20s, as a bowler, you know that the batter will go after you after two dots, but here you have to earn the wicket. I think [in] 50 overs, you enjoy more,” Chahal told Sportstar after Haryana’s win over Delhi in Ahmedabad.
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Chahal was left out of the ODI World Cup squad and last featured for the side in January 2023 against New Zealand in Indore. “Here we go again,” Chahal posted on social media on Thursday after the squad announcement.
The leg-spinner had boosted his bid for reconsideration with figures of six for 26 against Uttarakhand earlier in the tournament. However, with four wickets in four games, his returns have tapered off since.
On Friday, he marked his comeback to the national team with one for 37 in 10 overs. Chahal was effective in creating a stranglehold around Delhi’s batters. He scalped the crucial wicket of Jonty Sidhu to break the latter’s 61-run third-wicket partnership with Himmat Singh.
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“I think the role changes [according to the match]. In the situations I’m bowling in, I need to go for stopping the runs. Like today, the wicket was playing well, so we wanted to ensure their [required] run rate goes up to nine or 10 and works in our favour,” Chahal said.
Among the major differences between T20s and one-dayers, Chahal finds the multi-faceted nature of the longer version to be the most challenging.
“You have to bowl according to the situation. Plus, obviously, you have to bowl for longer. Sometimes your overs are scattered over two spells and sometimes over three,” he said.
Haryana’s Y Chahal in action during Vijay Hazare Trophy match between Haryana and Delhi. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI / The Hindu.
Chahal added that the variations from the shorter format have trickled into the longer one. “I think the leg-spinners across the game are bowling well. The variations have increased now. So, the batters also have to anticipate more if the next one will be a googly or a flipper,” Chahal said.
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During the ODI World Cup, the use of two new balls in an innings and its dwindling effect on reverse swing was a major talking point. Though Chahal admitted that two new balls aided the batters, he said taking it as a challenge was the best solution for bowlers.
“The [second] new ball has been in play for more than 10 years now. It is an advantage for the batters with two new balls, but I enjoy that challenge. Ultimately, it is a rule and we need to prepare according to that,” Chahal said.
On what has driven Haryana’s five-match winning streak in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which has bolstered its chances of making the knockouts, Chahal said, “I think the unity [sets us apart]. In the beginning, the top order performed. Later, the way Sumit [Kumar] and Rahul Tewatia have been batting. Today, we got to 300 from 120 for five. Our bowlers are bowling according to their roles. I think it is working out well for us. The atmosphere is good; we have won five out of five, it has been a big boost for us and we will try to make it seven out of seven.”
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