During the first of India’s three T20Is against England in July, Arshdeep Singh had managed to get a little bit of movement that was good enough to trouble opener Jason Roy.
That initial spell on his international debut in somewhat helpful conditions in Southampton did indicate that the young left-arm quick was not just a yorker or endovers specialist. If conditions are ideal for swing with the pitch having a bit of grass cover, he could swing the ball both ways and trouble the opposition’s top order.
That’s what Arshdeep showed in India’s first T20I versus South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. His performance in this game, after going through conditioning-related work at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore recently, bodes well for India with just a few weeks remaining for the T20 World Cup in Australia. More so since Jasprit Bumrah’s availability for the showpiece event remains doubtful because of his resurfacing back pain and Bhuvneshwar Kumar is not in the best of form.
The pitches in Australia will be on the harder side with extra bounce, but swing won’t be much of a factor there. For Arshdeep, the World Cup would be his first experience of Australian conditions, and he realises he needs to adapt to them fast so that India can do “amazing things in the coming days”.
“Adaptability is my goal and that of the rest of our team. The main goal is adapting to the situations and demands of the team, regardless of the situations and conditions,” the 23-year-old said at the post-match news conference on Wednesday night.
“When we go there (in Australia), we will see how the conditions are. I’m certainly looking forward to doing well.
“We are trying to tick all the boxes in the practice sessions and trying to execute all our plans on the field. We definitely look forward to doing amazing things in the coming days,” Arshdeep said.
The short stint at the NCA during the recent T20Is versus Australia seems to have helped him come back sharper, something Arshdeep himself acknowledged. “The purpose of those 10 days (at the NCA) was to get refreshed and come back stronger and fitter as that would help me in my bowling,” he said.
“I feel really refreshed and I’m looking forward to continuing putting up impressive performances.”
Arshdeep revealed he was told about his chances of being chosen for the England T20Is “in the back end of the IPL” this year. However, he isn’t too keen on worrying about the selection part.
“I guess the main objective is to keep doing well in whatever opportunities I get. That’s my job, and I really don’t think much about the selection part,” he said.
Work ethic
What also stands out for Arshdeep is his work ethic, which is all about a constant strive to “upskill himself”, pointed out Julian Wood, who’s in the coaching staff of the pacer’s IPL franchise Punjab Kings.
“Well, Arsh’s work ethic is absolutely phenomenal. He’s devoted to the game, always willing to learn and challenge himself in practice sessions.
“Whenever the (Punjab) bowling coach Damien Wright is working with him, Arsh puts in his all as his focus is on upskilling himself. That’s one of the traits of his character,” Wood, Punjab’s batting consultant, told The Telegraph on Thursday.
“He’s serious with the bat too, mind you... He has tried to follow it to the core when I’ve spoken to him about the method to get off the strike batting at No.11,” Wood added.
