Varun Chakaravarthy, the spin wizard, was in the open when he picked a five-wicket haul and then helped India clinch the game with a 44-run victory against New Zealand in the group-stage encounter in the ICC Champions Trophy held in Dubai on Sunday.
The 33-year-old admitted that he felt jittery about the game against the Kiwis; while he had not played much ODI, it marked his debut in the ICC tournament. He mentioned that the likes of Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rohit Sharma, and Hardik Pandya helped him get over the jitters of completing his overs
With a five-wicket haul, Chakaravarthy revived India’s chances by dismissing Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, and Matt Henry as New Zealand were bundled out for 205 in 45.3 overs.
“First of all, yes, I was nervous at the start. I don’t have much ODI experience, and things felt better as time went by. Virat, Rohit, Shreyas, and Hardik spoke to me, that helped,” he remarked in the post-match presentation ceremony while accepting the Player of the Match award.
It was revealed only the night before who was to undergo the uncertainties of assuring conditions. He devoted the remaining spinners to a victory for India.
“I found out last night. I was nervously hoping to play for the country. It was not going to turn much; it was something decent to work with, though. Kuldeep, Jaddu, Axar, and even the fast bowlers did brilliantly: total team effort,” he said.
By virtue of this victory, India now heads Group A with three wins, and in the semi-finals, will meet Australia, headed by Steve Smith, with New Zealand facing South Africa in the other semi-final match.
India remains the only side yet to taste defeat in the group stage of the tournament and aim to continue this streak into the remainder of the tournament for a chance at clinching the Championship for the third time.
