(AFP Photo)
Arshdeep Singh debuted internationally in July 2022 and has since featured in 52 out of India’s 61 matches. Interestingly, out of the 53 ODIs played by India in that period, he has only been included in six matches.
The Indian team management has predominantly categorized Arshdeep as a T20 specialist, a role he has embraced successfully. This trust was underscored recently at the 2024 T20 World Cup, where he emerged as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 17 dismissals, contributing significantly to India’s championship victory.
Nevertheless, his focus on T20 cricket has impacted his development in longer formats. According to his coach Jaswant Rai, Arshdeep’s emphasis on T20s led him to prioritize variations, sometimes resulting in a few loose deliveries per over.
“We were only focusing on the T20s. When he got the chance to play ODIs against New Zealand in 2022, he was expensive. Wo chaar over ka bowler ban gaya tha (He become a bowler for four overs). He was not playing first-class cricket regularly and that’s why he was struggling in the ODIs,” Rai told The Indian Express.
Rai disclosed that Rahul Dravid, the departing head coach of India, played a crucial role in securing Arshdeep Singh a contract with Kent. During his stint with the English county club, Arshdeep participated in five first-class matches, an experience that significantly contributed to his growth and progress as a cricketer.
“In the longer format, you can’t use variations in every ball. He developed that muscle memory in Kent. He bowled a lot of overs, it helped him understand the importance of hitting the length. Earlier after every third ball, he was trying to bowl a yorker or a slower one and he ended up being expensive. That obsession with variations was distilled in his bowling. He was relying more on variations rather than hitting the good length,” Rai said.
“In his county stint, he understood the difference between bowling in the T20I, ODIs and first-class cricket. When he played in the ODI series in South Africa, he was the player of the series. He picked up 10 wickets, including a five-wicket haul,” he added.
Dravid also encouraged Arshdeep to focus on improving his batting skills.
“Rahul Dravid wanted him to play in the ODIs as well. He asked him to play more red ball and even helped him get that contract with the Kent,” Rai said.
“It was again Rahul Dravid who has asked him to work on his batting so that when 8-10 runs would be needed in the crucial games, he should have the ability to get his team over the line,” he added.
