Arshdeep Singh spoke in depth about his mindset and strategy when he took the new ball in the powerplay during India’s win against South Africa in the first T20I here at the Barabati Stadium and said that his aim was to hit the seam and "get as much purchase off the wicket."
Put to bat first, India posted 175/6 on board, riding on Hardik Pandya’s unbeaten 59, before the bowlers took charge. Arshdeep was quick to get his side crucial breakthroughs in the powerplay, dismissing Quinton de Kock for a duck in the opening over and then picking Tristan Stubbs in the third over.
Notably, the pacer picked up a wicket each in the only two overs he bowled, finishing with 2-14 in two overs. When asked about his thought process as he headed into the game to defend the total, Arshdeep said, “The thought process is simple: just go there and try to use as much help as there is in the wicket and try to get the team early wickets.
I feel like if you were hitting the seam hard, there was something in the wicket, either it was bouncing more or seaming in or out. "The idea was to just hit the seam as hard as possible and get as much purchase off the wicket. I bowled full, got a wicket. Then bowled full, went for a four.
Then I knew I had to bowl short, got a wicket on that. Again bowled full, went for a four. So yeah, I was getting quick reminders there.” During the game, Bumrah scalped Dewald Brevis to complete 100 T20I wickets and became only the second Indian bowler, after Arshdeep, to achieve the feat.
When asked what message he conveyed to the Mumbai Indians pacer on his achievement, the 26-year-old said, “Yeah, I just told him ‘Welcome.’ Congratulated him and told him, ‘Welcome to the club.’”
Speaking further about how the bowlers' bowling economical spells helps ease the decision-making process for the team’s captain, Arshdeep added, “It makes life very easy for the captain as well. They can play around with the bowling combinations, whenever he wants Jassi (Bumrah) bhai to bowl three in the powerplay or me to bowl three in the powerplay. We just try to give him as much flexibility as possible and we’re enjoying each other’s company. I mean, I’m just trying to enjoy the present and just have fun. It’s very rare you get to play on these kinds of wickets where there’s seam and swing on offer. So I just try to stay patient, not get too excited seeing help in the wicket, stay disciplined and enjoy whatever is there.”