Wrist spinner Varun Chakravarthy’s bowling variations, particularly his googly, present a significant challenge for England’s Harry Brook in the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final. Former India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara highlighted that Brook’s performance against Chakravarthy will be a key battle, given Chakravarthy’s success in dismissing Brook three times in their T20I encounters.
Brook, who has scored 228 runs in the tournament, faces a tough test against Chakravarthy, who has taken 12 wickets so far. Pujara emphasized the importance of targeting Brook’s stumps to exploit his vulnerability on the off side, where Chakravarthy’s googly can be particularly effective. Pujara suggested that Chakravarthy’s bowling strategy should focus on restricting Brook’s scoring opportunities on the off side to increase the chances of dismissal.
England will also be relying on Jos Buttler to deliver in the semi-finals, with Pujara acknowledging Buttler’s experience and ability to perform under pressure. Buttler’s match-up against Jasprit Bumrah is anticipated to be a closely contested duel, with Bumrah’s skill in delivering yorkers and slower balls posing a challenge for Buttler. Pujara advised Bumrah to target a specific length while bowling to Buttler and utilize his variety of deliveries to keep the batsman under pressure.
