India tour of Australia2019: 3 Things we learned from the 3rd ODI

#2 Yuzvendra Chahal proves his worth

Chahal finished with six wickets

With many calling for the inclusion of Yuzvendra Chahal, India decided to bench Kuldeep Yadav in favor of the leg-spinner. The lad from Haryana didn’t disappoint either as he turned in his best performance in international cricket till date.

Chahal bowled with guile throughout and out-foxed the Aussie batsmen with his flight and drift. Additionally, the hosts’ batsmen weren’t able to figure out his variations and the spinner led them a merry dance.

However, the most impressive aspect of his bowling was the control he showcased. Chahal rarely bowled a bad delivery and kept the Australian batsmen under wraps at all times.

India had faced problems taking wickets in the middle phase of the innings during the first couple of ODIs. Yet, on Friday, the leg-spinner ensured that he single-handedly took the wind out of Australia’s sails.

Chahal returned with the wickets of Marsh, Khawaja, and Stoinis to throw a spanner in the Aussie works. The Australians never really recovered from the triple blow and eventually folded for a paltry total of 230.

At the moment, India enjoys an embarrassment of riches in the spin department. Though the problem of plenty is better than that of scarcity, India needs to be careful of picking the right horses for the right courses.

After all, one wouldn’t want India to lose a World Cup semi-final because they picked the wrong spinner and he couldn’t spin it their way.