"Had the length been wrong, it would have gone for a six" - Yuzvendra Chahal on how he dismissed Kieron Pollard 

Team India bowler Yuzvendra Chahal revealed how he plotted the dismissal of the big-hitting West Indies captain all-round Kieron Pollard in the first ODI in Ahmedabad.

Chahal enjoyed bowling in home conditions, and was adjudged the player of the match in the nation's 1000th ODI. The leg-spinner picked up figures of 4-49, which included the key wicket of Pollard. The visitors were eventually bowled out for 176 before Team India romped home with six wickets to spare.

The wily leg-spinner bowled a floated-up full-length delivery first up to Pollard. The explosive batter, expecting a leg-break, opted to go for an expansive shot on the off-side. Chahal, though, had dished out a googly, which turned back in and breached the bat-pad gap. Speaking about the Pollard dismissal, Chahal told captain Rohit Sharma after the match:

"The talk we had before the match about me not bowling many googlies in South Africa, it was on the back of my mind. And I know that hard-hitters, once they decide to go for their shot, they usually do."

"So, as you said, bowling googlies will make my leg-spin more effective, so I mixed it up more today. Especially the plan against Pollard, when you had asked me to pitch it up, had the length been wrong, it would have gone for a six."

Chahal is known for his quirky interviews, but he ended up being interviewed this time. When asked how it felt to reach 100 ODI wickets, the 31-year-old said:

"Feeling really good. It has been a little bit of an up and down career so far in these five years, so it is a good feeling when you take 100 wickets in a format. It is a big thing. Never thought that I would get to the milestone this quick."

Yuzvendra Chahal became the second quickest spinner to reach 100 ODI wickets after fellow wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. He reached the landmark by claiming the wicket of Darren Bravo.

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"I used to see other bowlers go a bit side-arm" - Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal was out of the squad for a while after he was snubbed for the 2021 T20 World Cup. He spoke about how he worked on improving himself during his time away from the Indian side. He added:

"I have changed the angle with which I bowl, if the wicket is slow. When I was not in the team, I thought about where I could improve. I used to see other bowlers go a bit side-arm, so while bowling in the nets, I realised that I was able to bowl quicker with it."

Following a poor tour of South Africa, the player-of-the-match performance was the perfect way for Yuzvendra Chahal to begin the home season. His performance will be keenly monitored, with the IPL mega auctions approaching.