Deepak Chahar blew away the Bangladesh batting order in the third T20I to hand India a 2-1 series win at the VCA Stadium on Sunday.
With the visitors chasing a target of 175, the 27-year-old Rajasthan seamer bagged 6 wickets for just 7 runs, including a hat-trick, from 3.2 overs to return with the best ever figures in the history of T20 internationals, surpassing the previous record held by Sri Lanka's Ajantha Mendis who scalped 6/8 against Zimbabwe in 2012.
However, a series of intermittent injuries had cluttered his mind and dampened his spirit. During IPL debut, for Chennai, Chahar took 10 wickets from 12 matches at an average of 27.80. But, captain MS Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming helped him find his verve and also rekindle his passion for the game. Bowling coach Andrew Bichel also played crucial roles in helping Chahar hone his skills further.
With help from the these three, Chahar finally began to taste success the following season. Chennai may not have won the 2019 IPL title, but Chahar enhanced his reputation by consistently removing top-order batsmen. Chahar took 22 wickets from 17 matches at an impressive average of 21.90. During the IPL season we saw Chahar bowling according to the match situation and exploit batsmen’s weaknesses.
“Mahi bhai [MS Dhoni] was in Pune [Rising Pune Supergiant] for two years. He had faith in me. In the first year itself, he told me I would get to play, but unfortunately I got injured in the very first practice match. So I could play only the last two-three matches,” Chahar was quoted as saying by Times Now. “Next year, [Steven] Smith was the captain, and his plans were different, so I played only two-three matches. But Mahi bhai had told me he'd take me in Chennai [Super Kings] and to prepare well. So I had the belief that I will get chances. And Mahi bhai is among those people who will back you fully. He won't change his decision after just one or two matches. I knew that I would get at least five-six matches.”
Chahar's pefomance in the match against Bangladesh in Nagpur proved that he has come a long way. The 27-year-old Rajasthan seamer bagged 6 wickets for just 7 runs, including a hat-trick, from 3.2 overs to return with the best ever figures.
Chasing a target of 175, Bangladesh were dealt an early blow with Chahar dismissing opener Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar off consecutive deliveries in the third over. However, a 98-run third wicket stand between Mohammad Naim and Mohammad Mithun put Bangladesh in cruise mode. Twenty-year-old Naim, who made his international debut in the first match of the series, smashed 81 off 48 balls, his innings laced with 10 fours and two sixes.
It was Chahar who provided the much-needed breakthrough as Mithun (27) holed out to K.L. Rahul at long off in the 13th over against the run of play. Shivam Dube then dismissed Bangladesh stumper and hero of the first match, Mushfiqur Rahim, for a duck as the momentum veered back India's way. Dube then got the big wicket of Naim with an inch-perfect yorker. Naim tried to play it to point but the ball tailed away late to take his off stump. Dube then dismissed Afif Hossain with a catch off his own bowling while Yuzvendra Chahal castled Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah to leave the visitors reeling at 130/7 in the 17th over.
It was all Chahar show after that. He first got the wicket of Shafiul Islam off the last delivery of the 18th over and then returned to dismiss Mustafizur Rahman and Aminul Islam off the first two balls of the 20th over to complete his hat-trick, the first by a male Indian cricketer in T20 internationals.
(Inputs from Agencies)
