Pacer Arshdeep Singh finally found a place in India’s playing XI in the 3rd T20I against Australia at Hobart and immediately showed his prowess when he snapped up 3 wickets which helped the Men in Blue waltz to a 5-wicket win and level the series 1-1. The Punjab pacer accounted for the wickets of Travis Head, Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis as Australia posted 186/6 which India chased down in 18.3 overs thanks to Washington Sundar’s 49.
“When someone is coming hard at you, there’s always a chance to pick up wickets. And when someone like Bumrah is bowling from the other end, batters often take more risks against me, that gives me wicket-taking opportunities,” Arshdeep said after the match where he won the Player of the Match trophy.
“I’ve just been working on my process, trusting my skills, and executing the plans I’ve practised. It feels great to contribute when I get the chance. I just try to enjoy my bowling and keep my plans simple. No matter the situation – powerplay or death – I just focus on execution and stick to what I’ve practised,” he added.
Arshdeep, who has over 100 wickets for the Men in Blue, was warming the bench in the first two matches of the T20I series vs Australia which baffled a lot of people.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently talked about Arshdeep’s lack of game time and had urged urged the team management to include the pacer in the team, adding that if he does not get regular game time, he’ll lose his rhythm and turn rusty.
“Arshdeep Singh’s name should be the second name on your fast bowlers’ list if Bumrah is playing. If Bumrah is not playing, Arshdeep becomes your first bowler on that team list. I just cannot understand how Arshdeep Singh keeps missing out from the XI in this side. I don’t really get it. Of course, Harshit Rana had a decent day with the bat. He batted decently but this is not about him at all. It’s about Arshdeep Singh. The performance he put in the T20 World Cup in 2024, after that he has consistently found ways to stay out of the team. He has been benched so many times that he has lost a bit of rhythm,” Ashwin had said on the Ash ki Baat show on his YouTube channel.
