New Delhi, Mar 1 (NationPress) Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar has recommended that mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy focus on delivering fuller lengths and aiming for the stumps as India prepares to challenge the West Indies in a crucial quarterfinal at Eden Gardens in Kolkata this Sunday.

Upon evaluating Varun’s performances during the Super 8s, Bangar observed that the spinner was somewhat off his ideal length, especially in games where opposing batsmen managed to get a read on him.

“In the match against Zimbabwe, most of his deliveries were back of a length, leading to several boundaries from that area. If he can push the ball a bit fuller and target the stumps, that’s where Varun poses the greatest threat. This has been one of Varun Chakaravarthy’s key abilities; if the batsman misses, he can either be trapped leg before wicket or bowled,” Bangar stated during an interview with Jio Hotstar.

Bangar also emphasized the significance of Varun’s variations against powerful West Indies batsmen like Shimron Hetmyer, who has been in excellent form throughout the tournament.

“Hetmyer often targets the long-on and mid-wicket areas, accumulating a substantial portion of his runs there. Therefore, bowling a googly from off-stump to the fourth-stump line, slightly wider outside off, can yield effective results. If he veers across, Varun always has a chance to take a wicket,” he added.

Regaining his form will be vital for Varun as India goes up against the two-time champions. In the previous match against Zimbabwe, the number one T20I bowler conceded 35 runs while managing just one wicket. He had a similar performance against the Proteas, giving away 47 runs with only one wicket to his name.

Bangar also pointed out the improvements made by Abhishek Sharma against Zimbabwe after a rocky start to the tournament:

“Several of Abhishek Sharma’s dismissals arose when he attempted horizontal-bat shots early in his innings while the ball was fresh. This changed when he opted for a much straighter bat. Against Zimbabwe, he respected the bowlers and played the ball straight down the line, giving himself a better chance of success.

“One of his strengths lies in hitting through the off-side, as not many players favor that side when aiming for sixes. If you take pace off the ball, he may struggle. However, if the pace remains consistent and you bowl within that fourth-stump corridor, he will score freely over covers or mid-off, which is where most of his runs come from.”