Arshdeep Singh won the Player of the Match for his two wickets in Dharamshala T20I.
India pacer Arshdeep Singh apologized to bowling coach Morne Morkel after he was shown on screen every time the pacer bowled a wide in the recent T20I against South Africa. They, along with pacer Harshit Rana, chatted in a BCCI video after India won the third T20I in Dharamshala by 7 wickets.
Arshdeep and Rana finished with combined figures of 4 for 47 from eight overs, a spell that proved decisive as India restricted South Africa before chasing down the target comfortably to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Arshdeep Singh’s two wickets were a relief for India and himself, especially after he went for 54 runs in the second match in New Chandigarh, including an over in which he bowled 7 wides. The left-armer, who was voted Player of the Match for his 2 for 13 performance, claimed that being calm and having the backing of his teammates helped him respond appropriately.
"Whether it's good or bad, I just try to stay at a level. I try to keep the dressing room atmosphere light because when you play at an international level, and you're away from your family, there's a lot of pressure. If you don't have a good day, they give you a shoulder to help you and make you feel good. That's the main motive of being in the team,” Arshdeep Singh said in a BCCI video.
Arshdeep also shared a lighthearted moment with bowling coach Morne Morkel, suggesting that the former South African pacer would have played ahead of him on a surface like Dharamsala's if he were still active.
"If the bowling coach was playing on this wicket, I wouldn't be playing. After the last game, he said that you gave me a lot of screen time,” Arshdeep said.
The joke stemmed from the television cameras repeatedly panning to Morkel after Arshdeep's wides in the previous match.
"Whenever I bowled a wide ball, the camera was focusing straight on the coach. For that, I will say sorry to Morne and will try to get you less screen time,” the pacer added.
Morkel took the humor in stride, laughing about his increased visibility during the second T20I.
"I received a lot of messages from players in our squad with the red-ball and 50-over series saying I should pay for my own private channel because all they saw was me on the screen," he said.
Speaking after India's seven-wicket victory in the third T20I at the HPCA Stadium on Sunday, Harshit Rana credited Arshdeep's experience and control for their success in seam-friendly conditions.
"First of all, I always enjoy bowling with him with the new ball, especially because he's someone who creates that pressure from one end," Rana said in a video shared by the BCCI on Monday. "I like to give him company in terms of what's in my hand. So, I enjoy bowling with him because he has a lot of experience, and I get a lot of help from him,” Rana said.
Rana also revealed how late the call-up came for him and how much he enjoyed bowling in Dharamsala.
"I found out at midnight that I was playing this match. It's my first time here in Dharamsala. I've never been here before. It's a lot of fun bowling here. I get a lot of help from the weather, and it's a lot of fun," he said.
Morkel was pleased with how the attack responded in Dharamsala.
"I'm just happy with how the boys bounced back in this game. I thought it was a beautiful comeback with the ball. If you ever have an average day, you can always look up at the mountains and feel that life isn't the same every day. There's always a great joy in coming here. It's one of my favorite grounds in the world,” Morkel added.
The fourth T20I of the series will be played in Lucknow on December 17.