How to stop India's batters? Don't bowl spin, Varun Chakravarthy explains

Varun Chakravarthy highlights India's intent against spin after Abhishek Sharma's explosive knock against Afghanistan, while explaining his own focus on length and execution

India spinner Varun Chakravarthy had a blunt message for teams trying to contain his side’s batters: do not bowl spin. His assessment followed Abhishek Sharma’s explosive innings in the opening T20 International against Afghanistan in Delhi on Sunday. Abhishek was named Player of the Match for his blistering 82 off 32 balls, which included seven fours and as many sixes.

 

“Against our batting line-up, you can’t bowl spin,” Varun said at the post-match press conference.

 

His message was that India’s batters would take the attacking option against spinners, putting pressure on opponents who turn to slow bowling to control the scoring.

 

India won the opener at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where Afghanistan are hosting the Friendship Series. The teams meet again on Tuesday, with the hosts needing a stronger response to India’s batting.

 

 

India’s attacking intent poses a challenge

 

Abhishek’s innings provided the immediate context for Varun’s assessment of the batting line-up. The challenge for Afghanistan is significant because spin has historically been one of their strengths.

 

India’s willingness to attack it forces the hosts to make their preferred bowling option work under pressure. Introducing spin is only the first decision; delivering it accurately enough to contain an attacking batting line-up is the harder task.

 

Varun’s own explanation of bowling on the Delhi surface offered a useful perspective on that challenge. He placed the emphasis on length, rather than a significant increase in pace.

 

“Generally, my pace is within a certain range for me,” he said.

 

He described an effective length as a “sweet spot” that had to be found on the pitch. For him, the priority was to identify that area and execute the plan consistently.

 

“We stuck to our plans and it worked out,” Varun said. 

 

A six does not necessarily mean the bowler got it wrong

 

Yet Varun’s confidence in India’s ability to attack spin did not mean he judged a bowler solely by how far a batter hit the ball.

 

A well-executed delivery could still disappear for six, he said, while a wicket could conceal a mistake that needed correcting.

 

“If it’s a good ball and if it’s still hit for a six, I’ll always take it. But if it’s a bad ball and it’s a wicket, I have to go and work on it again,” he said.

 

“It’s about if I’m bowling in the right place or not. Whatever happens after that, it’s not in my control,” he said.

 

Why Varun refuses to react to every result

 

The same approach helps him assess his performances without allowing each outcome to dictate his emotions.

 

“So, what you are referring to is results. Results, I cannot go by results,” Varun said.

 

“If I go by results, I start reacting to each and everything,” he added. “If it goes my way, I start being very happy, if it doesn’t go my way, I become very sad. I cannot go that way.”

 

He also maintained that his England tour had been good for him, underlining his reluctance to treat a disappointing result as proof of poor bowling.

 

“So, the best way for me is to see the process,” he said.