IND vs SA 2022: "I don't have the habit of looking at the wicket" - Arshdeep Singh on assessing the conditions before first T20I

Indian seamer Arshdeep Singh opened up about his sensational spell of swing bowling against South Africa in the first T20I on Wednesday (September 28) in Thiruvananthapuram, revealing that he never looks at the pitch before the game.

The youngster also credited his new-ball bowling partner Deepak Chahar for setting the wheels in motion.

Arshdeep earned the Player of the Match award for his figures of 4-0-32-3 as India cantered to an eight-wicket victory over the Proteas. The left-arm seamer claimed the wickets of Quinton de Kock, Rilee Rossouw, and David Miller and combined with Chahar to reduce the visitors to 9-5 in 2.3 overs.

Speaking to bowling coach Paras Mhambrey in a casual chat after the game, Arshdeep reflected on how crucial a toss it was to win. The Punjab seamer said he tried to follow Chahar's lead and put the ball in the right areas to get wickets.

He said:

"Right from the start, I don't have the habit of looking at the wicket. I go to my bowling coach and ask him about what would work on the pitch. I asked you the same and you told me that there is be a bit of moisture, which would help at the start.

"We won the toss and it proved beneficial for us. DC bhai [Chahar] set the tone and I also thought that if I pitch it up, the ball will swing. That's what I tried, put the ball in the right areas to attain success."

When asked whether he expected the ball to move around like it did, Arshdeep admitted he didn't and tried his best to do well in the role handed over to him.

He added:

"In the recent matches that I played, I hardly got any swing. You don't expect a lot and if you get more, it's always good. However, I didn't expect the ball to move so much. It's important to adapt to whatever the situation is.

"I bowled three overs at the beginning, which the team wanted from me and it's vital for players to thrive on those expectations. I hope to do the same moving forward."

The Madhya Pradesh-born player made his international debut against England in July and earned selection based on his IPL performances for the Punjab Kings. Singh also played in the Asia Cup and emerged as an impressive prospect despite India's elimination from the Super 4 stage.

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"It has helped a lot and I feel refreshed" - Arshdeep Singh on his time away from the game

Arshdeep Singh celebrates with his teammates. (Credits: Twitter)

When asked how he utilized his time away from the game, Arshdeep stated:

"I guess the preparation was as I spoke to the strength and conditioning coach and it was your [Mhambrey] plan to work on my fitness by being away from the game. It has helped a lot and I feel refreshed. So, a lot of credit goes to you."

Although the tourists got rid of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli cheaply, India got home comfortably, thanks to half-centuries from Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul. India's eight-wicket victory has South Africa under pressure and they will look to bounce back in Sunday's second T20I in Guwahati.