Here’s what Varun Chakaravarthy had to say about harbouring dreams of playing Test cricket for India.
Varun Chakaravarthy was the standout performer for India in the recently concluded Champions Trophy. The mystery spinner returned with nine wickets in three matches, including a five-wicket haul against New Zealand in the group stage. Days after winning the tournament, the 33-year-old expressed a desire to play Test cricket for the country. However, he also described his limitation, which might be a big hurdle in playing the longest format.
Varun Chakaravarthy opens up on playing Test cricket. (ANI )
In the Champions Trophy, Varun played his first match for India against New Zealand in the group stage. After taking a fifer, Varun returned with two wickets each in the semi-final against Australia and the final against the Kiwis.
Recently, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin stated that Varun should have been given the Player of the Tournament accolade as he was the biggest difference in the entire competition and brought the much-needed X factor to the side led by Rohit Sharma.
“I do have an interest in Test cricket, but my bowling style doesn’t suit Test cricket,” said Varun while speaking in a podcast with Gobinath on his YouTube channel.
“Mine is almost like medium pace. In Test cricket, you’ve to continuously bowl 20-30 overs. I can’t do that in my bowling. Since I bowl quick, the maximum I can bowl is 10-15 overs which is not suited for red ball. I am focusing on 20 overs and 50 overs white ball cricket for now,” he added.
For the uninitiated, Varun Chakaravarthy was the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, only behind New Zealand’s Matt Henry.
Varun started off as a fast bowler
Varun Chakaravarthy used to be a pacer during his college days, but he turned into a spinner after suffering an injury. He had earlier begun his cricketing journey as a wicketkeeper.
The spinner said he has no regrets about leaving fast bowling because bowling slow has enabled him to play for the country and make a name for himself.
“No. That’s why I am here. I would’ve been stuck there had I bowled pace. There are so many pacers. Also, it doesn’t swing in Tamil Nadu wickets. They are spin-friendly wickets. So you can’t see many fast bowlers from Tamil Nadu. It is very rare,” said Varun.
“There is Balaji and Natarajan but there are many pacers in other states. I am happy that I left fast bowling. Even (Ravichandran) Ashwin became a spinner after leaving fast bowling. So I am happy,” he added.
Varun has come a long way in international cricket. His first stint as an international cricketer did not go as planned in the 2021 T20 World Cup. He failed to take a single wicket but a resurgence in the IPL for KKR has led to Varun finding a second wind.
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