Sanjay Bangar's Key Advice to Varun Chakaravarthy for India vs West Indies Clash

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar has analyzed Varun Chakaravarthy's recent performances, noting he has been bowling too short. Bangar advises the mystery spinner to push the ball fuller and target the stumps to regain his wicket-taking threat. He also outlined a specific plan using the googly against West Indies' in-form power-hitter Shimron Hetmyer. Additionally, Bangar highlighted how Abhishek Sharma improved his approach after a poor start to the tournament.

Key Points: Bangar's Advice to Varun for India vs WI T20 World Cup Clash

  • Bowl fuller lengths
  • Attack the stumps
  • Use googly against Hetmyer
  • Respect bowlers early on
3 min read

'Push the ball a little fuller, attack the stumps: Sanjay Bangar's advice to Varun ahead of WI clash

Sanjay Bangar advises Varun Chakaravarthy to bowl fuller and attack stumps ahead of India's crucial T20 World Cup match against West Indies.

'Push the ball a little fuller, attack the stumps: Sanjay Bangar's advice to Varun ahead of WI clash
"If he pushes the ball a little fuller and attacks the stumps, that's where Varun is most dangerous. - Sanjay Bangar"

New Delhi, Mar 1

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar has advised mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy to bowl fuller lengths and target the stumps as India gear up to face West Indies in a virtual quarterfinal at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.

Analysing Varun's performances in the Super 8s, Bangar felt the spinner was slightly off his optimal length, particularly in matches where opposition batters were able to line him up.

"Against Zimbabwe, a majority of his deliveries were back of a length, and many of the boundaries came from that area. If he pushes the ball a little fuller and attacks the stumps, that's where Varun is most dangerous. That has been one of Varun Chakaravarthy's strengths; if the batsman misses, he is either trapped leg before wicket or bowled," Bangar told Jio Hotstar.

Bangar also highlighted the importance of Varun's variations against West Indies power-hitters like Shimron Hetmyer, who is looking in great touch in the ongoing tournament.

"Hetmyer tends to target long-on and the mid-wicket region, with a large share of his runs coming there. So, bowling the googly from off-stump to the fourth-stump line, slightly wider outside off, can be very effective. If he goes across, there is always a wicket-taking opportunity for Varun, he added.

Varun getting back in form will be crucial when India face the two-time champions. The number 1 T20I bowler gave away 35 runs against Zimbabwe in the last match and was able to take only one wicket. Against the Proteas, Varun leaked 47 runs and took only one wicket.

Bangar shed light on what Abhishek Sharma did better against Zimbabwe after a poor start to the tournament:

"A couple of Abhishek Sharma's dismissals came when he was trying to play horizontal-bat shots at the start of his innings, when the ball was new. That was not the case when he began playing with a much straighter bat. Against Zimbabwe, he showed some respect to the bowlers as well and played the ball straight down the line. As a result, he gave himself a good chance to succeed.

"One of his strongest suits is hitting through the off-side because not many players, when they are looking to hit sixes, favour that side. So, if you can take pace off the ball, he can get into trouble. But if you don't take pace off and bowl in that fourth-stump corridor, he will score freely over covers or mid-off, where he is scoring most of his runs."

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting technical breakdown. The point about Abhishek Sharma playing straighter is crucial. Sometimes young players try to be too aggressive too early. Good to see the coaching staff providing such specific feedback.
V
Vikram M
Absolutely correct. Varun's magic is in his mystery, but if the length is predictable, batsmen will wait and pounce. Fuller and at the stumps forces them to play every ball. Eden Gardens will be packed, hope he rises to the occasion! 🤞
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Aman W
With all due respect to Bangar, I feel we are over-analysing. Varun is our number 1 bowler for a reason. He had two off games, it happens. He knows his game best. Let's just trust him to come good in the big match.
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Priya S
Hetmyer is in dangerous form. The plan to bowl the googly wider to him makes perfect sense. Can't let him settle and swing through the leg side. This is where experience from someone like Bangar is invaluable for the team.
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David E
The pressure of a virtual quarterfinal at Eden Gardens is immense. Hope the team management is creating a calm environment. Technical advice is great, but the mental game will be just as important on Sunday.

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