New Delhi, March 5
Wrist spinner Varun Chakravarthy's repertoire of variations, especially the googly, makes him the most potent threat to counter in-form England skipper Harry Brook in the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup semi-final, to be played at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday evening, said former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara.
Brook has amassed 228 runs in seven innings at an average of 32.6 and strike-rate of 162. But it's his match-up against Chakaravarthy which will be keenly seen, especially with a spot in the final on the line. Chakaravarthy, who has taken 12 scalps in the tournament so far, has dismissed Brook three times while conceding 28 runs off 18 balls in their head-to-head T20I meetings.
"If you see, the majority of his runs are on the leg side. However, someone like Harry Brook is also strong on the off side. So, it is not just about the data, you also need to consider the batter's strengths. Brook predominantly scores on the leg side, but at the same time, he can score on the off side as well.
"How do you get him out? By keeping as many deliveries as possible on the stumps, because whenever he misses, the ball should hit the stumps. When he creates room on the off side, that is where he is slightly vulnerable. I think Varun will be the most dangerous bowler against Harry Brook because Brook likes to play the sweep and the slog sweep.
"If he is given any room on the off side, Varun has his googly, which comes back in and hits the stumps. Out of his three dismissals, two have been bowled. So, as a bowler, you should target the middle and off stump, or at most the fourth stump, nothing wider than that," said Pujara on JioHotstar.
England will also be hoping that veteran wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler comes back to form in the semi-finals. In this tournament, Buttler has made 62 runs at an average of 8.9 and strike-rate of 107. Pujara felt one cannot discount Buttler coming good in a knock-out clash and his match-up against Jasprit Bumrah will be a keenly contested one, due to the ace pacer's variety of yorkers and slower balls.
"You cannot count Buttler out. He is one of the most experienced batters in the England team, and he is not afraid to play his shots once he is set. If you have scored more than 4,000 runs in the T20 format, you know what you are doing. Even if you are going through a rough patch, you know how to come back, how to handle pressure, and in a big game, how to raise your standards.
"I would like Bumrah to bowl at least one over within the first three overs. Against Buttler, he should try to pitch the ball around that eight-metre length or slightly shorter. We also saw Jos Buttler getting out to Lockie Ferguson in one of the games, caught behind.
"So, if possible, try to replicate a similar delivery. The advantage for Jasprit Bumrah is that he has a very good yorker as well as a slower ball. If the back-of-a-length delivery is not working, he can always mix it up," he added.
- IANS
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