Morne Morkel: For Varun Chakaravarthy it's about getting confidence, not overthinking
varun chakaravarthy spent an extra nets session with bowling coach Morne Morkel on Wednesday as India prepared to face England in the semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium, with Morkel stressing clarity and confidence ahead of the match.
Varun Chakaravarthy worked on length at Wankhede
The spinner and Morkel put in work in the heat, focussing on the exact length Varun must hit against England in the semifinal. Varun started the T20 World Cup campaign strongly, finishing the four-match group stage with nine wickets at a strike rate of 8, but the Super Eights brought tougher assignments on good batting tracks where opposition totals reached 187, 184 and 195.
Morkel on clarity, confidence and the next ball
Morkel said discussions with Varun centred on getting "clarity" of his plans a day ahead of the match and "allowing him to walk away feeling good about his body. " He added that with Varun's variations "he's got the ability to take a wicket with almost every ball, " and urged the spinner to move on quickly if a boundary is conceded and to commit to the next delivery.
Numbers that matter: early surge and Super Eights strain
Varun's early tournament form included nine wickets in four league fixtures while conceding 62 in 12 overs. In the Super Eights he conceded 122 runs in 12 overs across matches against South Africa, Zimbabwe and West Indies, with match figures of 1/47 against South Africa, 1/35 against Zimbabwe and 1/40 against West Indies. He remains among the top five wicket-takers in this edition with 12 scalps, and almost 75% of his T20I wickets have come with the googly.
Opposition batters have targeted his variations: David Miller, Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs attacked him for South Africa, while Shimron Hetmyer and Jason Holder did the same for West Indies, forcing changes in his line and length and bringing him into hitting arcs. Those moments curtailed his ability to squeeze the middle overs and take wickets when under pressure.
Morkel's practical coaching aim was specific: get Varun's speed, length and control right so he can bowl with confidence. "For him it's just about getting that confidence into the ball, getting his speed, his length and control right, " Morkel said, stressing execution over tinkering.
The immediate test comes Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium when India meet England in the semifinal. Varun chakaravarthy and the bowling staff will head into that match after targeted net work and a clear plan to keep his variations — especially the googly — effective against an England lineup that includes several big hitters and benefits from shorter boundaries.
