Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh was made the scapegoat after India’s five-wicket defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Pakistan in the Super-4 clash of the recently held Asia Cup 2022.
The 23-year-old dropped a simple catch to give Asif Ali a lifeline in the dying stages of the high-voltage match at Dubai International Cricket Stadium earlier this month.
Asif went to play a crucial cameo (16 off 8 balls) and although Arshdeep dismissed him in the final over, Pakistan overhauled India’s target of 182 with one ball to spare.
WATCH – “Anyone can commit mistakes under pressure,” Kohli defends Arshdeep over dropped catch
After the match, the Punjab lad was subjected to nasty comments on social media. Since then, he has also received immense support from the cricket fraternity and recently Arshdeep’s India teammate Ravi Bishnoi backed the former, saying it could have been him dropping a crucial catch against Pakistan.
Notably, Arshdeep had spilled an important sitter off Bishoni’s bowling in the penultimate over of Pakistan’s innings.
“Paaji mere sabse acche dost hai (Paaji is a dear friend). We all know that dropped catches are part and parcel of game. It can happen with the best. It could well have been the other way round where he was bowling and I happened to drop the catch,” Bishnoi told PTI in an exclusive chat.
“Arshdeep is one of the bravest boys that I know. After that catch, you saw how he came and bowled at the death. It never looked as if he was perturbed. That’s his mental strength,” he added.
Earlier this week, Ravi Bishnoi failed to make it to India’s T20 World Cup 2022 squad despite impressing one and all in his brief T20I career so far, claiming 16 wickets in 10 matches. Senior leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was preferred over him.
After his snub, it is being said that he is becoming a one-dimensional option with googly as his only potent weapon.
“No one from the team management has pressed it upon me that I have to develop a leg-break,” Bishnoi stated.
He also opened up on his discussion with one of the bowling coaches, Sairaj Bahutule.
“I had spoken to Sairaj sir and he said that it’s fine as long as I am working on that variation. He told me ‘Yes, you are trying to develop a potent leg-break and someday, you will certainly execute it to perfection. I am working on it and hope it happens sooner than later,” Bishnoi said.
Rather than considering Chahal his rival, Ravi Bishnoi is enjoying every moment of working with the veteran wrist spinner.
“Yuzi bhai hasn’t told me anything specific (on leg break bowling). He always tells me that every moment that you are on the ground, you should enjoy and as a pair, we should try and bowl well in tandem which is beneficial for the team,” he said.
“One has to perform a specific role that is being assigned. At times, it could be a wicket-taking role and at times, a restrictive one. For me, the most important aspect is that I have not wasted opportunities, whatever chances I have got, I have tried my best to utilise it.”
(With PTI inputs)
