Following an impressive display that saw him dominate England in the first T20I, Varun Chakaravarthy modestly assessed his performance with a score of 7 out of 10. The mystery spinner's desire for self-improvement was evident after his Player of the Match achievement, where he recorded figures of 3/23 at Eden Gardens, a venue with which he is well-acquainted. “I’m still at 7 out of 10; there is still more work to be done,” Chakaravarthy stated post-match.

Chakaravarthy's bowling was a demonstration of skill in adapting to the conditions. With India restricting England to a mere 132 runs, the spinner, who plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, distinguished himself by focusing on bounce rather than turn on a pitch that typically favours seam bowlers.

“I am accustomed to such pitches in the IPL. I understand they are suited for seamers, but I have identified specific lengths that work to my advantage. I realized that I cannot outsmart batsmen with side spin; my only chance is to challenge them with bounce,” he elaborated.

The foundation for Chakaravarthy’s success was established by Arshdeep Singh, whose fiery bowling performance of 2/17 dismissed England's openers, Ben Duckett and Phil Salt, early in the innings. With a solid platform in place, Chakaravarthy proceeded to dismantle England’s middle order, beginning with Harry Brook, who was caught out for 17 runs. Just two deliveries later, he sent Liam Livingstone back to the pavilion without scoring.

Chakaravarthy's standout moment arrived when he claimed the wicket of England captain Jos Buttler, who had anchored the innings with a resilient 68 runs off 44 balls. In an attempt to play a pull shot, Buttler miscalculated Chakaravarthy’s clever variation and was caught at deep square leg by Nitish Reddy.

Reflecting on the demanding final overs, Chakaravarthy remarked, “I aim to keep the ball away from their hitting zone; the pitch was gripping a bit. Bowling at Eden is challenging every over. Facing batsmen like Jos and others is certainly tough. The last over was particularly tricky, but by God's grace, I managed to succeed.”

India cruise to easy win

England's innings concluded at a disappointing total of 132, a target that India successfully pursued with relative ease, largely due to Abhishek Sharma's impressive score of 79. With this victory, India now holds a 1-0 lead in the series. Additionally, Chakaravarthy's exceptional performance, demonstrating remarkable consistency despite a lengthy hiatus since India's last T20I in November of the previous year, stands out as a significant highlight from the match, establishing him as an essential component of India's T20 strategy.

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