New York: Amid all the mounting chirp around a torrid pitch at New York, front-line left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh had to work hard on self-control when he opened the India innings ahead of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the match against Ireland in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Ask him how it feels to be in command as a bowler after going for so many runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and he smiles to tell you: "I have come here after playing the IPL, where 240 were par scores. So yes, I am feeling good here but when we talk about pitches, the main focus is what we can control because the pitch is the same for both teams. So, whichever team applies better, and bowls better lengths, will get better results."
Singh is king when it comes to a dash of humour. Answering a query on whether Team India is thinking about not sending its best batters in the opening overs against Pakistan, he said. "Yes, I have been practicing to bat on the new ball at nets. I am hoping they will give me a promotion."
The ensuing laughter was, however, toned down by him when he got talking business and all the effort he was constantly putting in to somehow stop the ball flying all around. He said the task was to focus on sticking to the plan even as controlling the ball on the drop-in pitch in cloudy conditions was difficult.
He said, "I made every effort to pitch the ball on the scrambled seam, but the ball was swinging so much that it did not work. So again, I focussed on length. Yes, there were a lot of wides from me but in the next match I will strive that they don’t happen."
He bowled five wides in 10-ball over and admitted that the only thing he was trying to control at that time was his breathing as it is quite strenuous to bowl continuous 10 balls. All said, he was also credited with having scalped the two Irish bat biggies Andy Balberine and skipper Paul Stirling in one over.
So what does control mean? "Control means one should not get greedy, not to go after getting wickets. It was cloudy and the ball was swinging. At the start, the plan was to take advantage of that by bowling in the right areas and if they (Ireland) take risks then fine, but it will also give us better a chance to take wickets," the left-arm bowler elaborated.
"The plan was to keep it simple and aim straight for the wicket to get more LBWs, clean bowled and caught-behind decisions, keep all the options open. And, if they go for a big slog or try going down the wicket, then it's okay, but we will keep bowling the same way," he added.
The other thing he said was crucial for good bowling on such surfaces is to focus on his process rather than look at the scoreboard. "As bowlers, we back ourselves to defend any kind of score and we make every effort to ensure whatever be the score that is our par score. (We) follow the process and not look too much at the scoreboard."
In the middle, Arshdeep said he soaks in a lot from all the experience a pace quarter accorded him in the opening match. “ Jassi bhai (Bumrah), with his loads of experience, keeps telling us not to go after wickets. Just keep it simple, keep bowling in the right areas and whatever result comes it's good,” Arshdeep said.
He denied the team had talked about outfield cautions to avoid injuries. "No such talk. When the tournament is on, you don't think of conditions. If there is a catch to be taken, you have to put your body on the line. The effort is to put as much preparation as possible, and that is what gives success," he said.
Singh's family is here and he plans to take a tour of New York "and enjoy with family" before the big Sunday clash against Pakistan. A stronger bowling unit that Pakistan is known for can give potential worries to any team on this surface. But Arshdeep, for now, is not getting into all that.
"Our process will remain the same, length will remain the same. As far as planning goes, we have to see what batter plays well in which position. It doesn't matter what team is playing against you, we give our best," he said.
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