Yuzvendra Chahal: I think we deserve to win the series

Tweaker Yuzvendra Chahal believes fighting display in Sydney has put Rahane & Co in a good position to clinch Border-Gavaskar trophy

India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is keen to put his poor show in the Australia tour behind him. 

In two ODIs, Chahal conceded 160 runs and bagged just one wicket, while in three T20Is, he claimed four wickets at a high economy rate of 9.75.

Room for improvement

“We were playing after eight months and sometimes you need to get back that rhythm. Also, credit must go to the Australian batsmen for playing so well. It’s been a good learning experience for me and I don’t want to repeat those mistakes. I want to improve and don’t want to think about those matches a lot because it could put me under pressure,” Chahal, who is in the city to represent his state, Haryana, in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, told mid-day on Tuesday. 

Chahal took 2-21 in Haryana’s six-wicket win over Andhra on Monday.

Chahal is closely following the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia and hailed fellow India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for his heroics in the third Test. 

Confidence booster

“The third match was one of the best Test matches I’ve ever seen. The way we fought, especially while chasing 400-plus on Day Five, the way Ashwin bhaiya and [Hanuma] Vihari batted, you could feel the intensity and fighting spirit against a very good bowling line-up. It may be a draw but it’s almost as good as a win for us. The team’s confidence will surely be on a high after this match. The way we have played, I think we deserve to win the series,” added Chahal, 30, who has taken 92 wickets in 54 ODIs and 59 scalps in 45 T20Is. 

Ready for Tests

Red-ball cricket however, continues to be a priority for Chahal, who has 84 wickets under his belt in 31 first-class games. 

“For me, Test cricket is very important. Even last year, I played a few first-class matches. I enjoy playing red-ball cricket. Whenever I get a chance [to play a Test] 
I have to be ready to perform,” he said.

92
No. of wickets India spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has bagged in 54 ODIs

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