With the next six months seeing relentless T20 action in India, first at next month’s World Cup and then in the IPL, pacer Arshdeep Singh needs a strategy to bowl on flat decks in batting-friendly conditions. So how does he go about his planning? “The first thing I do is take god’s name, ‘The wicket’s looking flat please save me,’” he quipped to reporters after India’s 48-run win over New Zealand in the first T20I in Nagpur on Wednesday. “Before arriving anywhere we do plan a lot, our team meetings are all about planning for the conditions and trying to get the best of the batters. If you go by the plan, more often than not, wickets come even if a lot of runs are scored,” Arshdeep added. The left-armer was one of the brighter spots in India’s bowling on Wednesday. Putting up a mammoth 239-run target allowed them to stay ahead of the scoreboard pressure at all times. Even so, a wicket with the second ball of the chase and a tight four-over spell of 1/31 made him the pick of India’s bowlers. It was another performance that would be a feather in Arshdeep’s cap ahead of the T20 World Cup. In previous series, he has been in and out of the team, but that has not weighed on him as he prepares for the world showpiece, ready to play whichever part he is assigned for India. “It doesn’t matter if I’m in or out, playing with new ball or old, or which format. The point is to always be ready to come and bowl my part and get wickets for India. I’m glad it’s working right now,” Arshdeep said. On his new ball partner, normally Jasprit Bumrah but Hardik Pandya today, Arshdeep said: “We have always planned to be as flexible as possible, depending on the situation and pitch. It will continue to change accordingly.”
IND vs NZ | Arshdeep Singh’s plan to bowl on flat pitches? ‘Take god’s name’
