Indian cricket team’s ‘star player’ Varun Chakraborty has been performing brilliantly for the last few months. After returning to the T20 team, he has taken 31 wickets in 11 matches. At the same time, when he got a chance in the ODI team, he took rest only after winning the Champions Trophy for India. He was the second highest wicket taker in this tournament. However, till now he has not played a single Test match. Now Varun Chakraborty himself has revealed that he may never play Test cricket.
Recently, during a podcast, Varun Chakraborty shared his opinion about Test cricket. He told that he wants to play Test cricket, but his bowling style is not suitable for it. Chakraborty said, “My bowling action is very much like a medium pacer. In Test cricket, a bowler has to bowl 20-30 overs continuously, and I don’t think I can do that. Since I bowl spin at a fast pace, I can bowl a maximum of 10-15 overs in a day. But this is not enough for red ball cricket, where 20-30 overs have to be bowled every day.”
This admission by Varun Chakravarthy shows that his strength lies in the limited overs format. His bowling benefits the team in T20 and ODI, but
Varun Chakraborty was the first fast bowler
Very few people know that Varun Chakraborty started his career as a fast bowler. But in the year 2017, he suffered a serious knee injury, after which he decided to change his bowling style. Regarding this, he himself said, “If I had continued fast bowling, my career would have stopped there. Actually, the ball does not swing much on the pitches of Tamil Nadu and spinners get more help here. This is the reason why very few fast bowlers come out of Tamil Nadu.”
After recovering from injury, he turned to spin bowling and gradually made his own identity. His fast spin bowling brought him success in T20 and ODIs, but his style still remains a challenge for Test cricket.
Why is Varun Chakravarthy so effective in white ball cricket?
Varun Chakraborty’s bowling has been extremely effective in white ball cricket. The reason for this is his bowling variety and fast spin. His googly and corner arm action troubles the batsmen. This is the reason why he takes wickets consistently in T20 and ODIs.
Looking at his T20 statistics, he fits perfectly for this format. His ability to spin at a fast pace makes him lethal against batsmen. His economy has been good in ODIs as well, which helps him to stop runs in the middle overs as well as take wickets. However, to be successful in Test cricket, a spinner has to bowl long, which is not easy for Varun Chakraborty.
Will I get a chance in Test cricket?
Varun Chakraborty may have expressed his desire to play Test cricket, but it is clear from his own statement that he does not fit in this format. The Indian Test team already has great spinners like Ashwin, Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, who are capable of bowling 20-30 overs continuously. In such a situation, it seems difficult for Varun Chakraborty to get a chance in red ball cricket.
However, he can remain an important player for the Indian team in T20 and ODIs. His unique bowling style and excellent statistics make him an expert in white ball cricket. If he works more on his fitness and bowling, he can make an even bigger contribution to the Indian team in the coming years.
Varun Chakravarthy has cemented his place in limited-overs cricket, but his future in Test cricket looks uncertain. His bowling style does not match the needs of Test cricket, and he himself admits that it is not possible for him to bowl long spells of 20-30 overs. Despite this, he has made his mark in white-ball cricket and has won many awards.
