‘He was bowling a lot slower’ – Sanjay Manjrekar asks Varun Chakravarthy to make one change after making his ODI Debut

Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy made his ODI debut for India on Sunday against England. The 33-year-old bowled ten overs and conceded 54 runs while picking the wicket of Phil Salt. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has come up with a crucial piece of advice for the bowler after his maiden ODI on Sunday in Cuttack. 

Speaking to ESPN CRICINFO, the former India batter said, “He bowled it outside the off-stump slow in the air and all that, and that is Varun Chakravarthy trying to be a 50-overs bowler, trying to deceive batters. I would like to see him stick to what he does in T20 cricket."

Manjrekar also added, “Just like Jadeja, let the batters do what they want to do and see how it goes. But I think it is a good addition to have Varun Chakravarthy in the scheme of things in 50 overs cricket."

Can Varun Chakravarthy make it to the Champions Trophy squad?

After his amazing form during the T20I series against England, Varun Chakravarthy was added to the ODI squad as well. On Sunday, the 33-year-old replaced Kuldeep Yadav and was handed his debut cap by the teammate Ravindra Jadeja. There are reports that the veteran spinner could be in the fray for a late call-up to the Champions Trophy squad. 

Sanjay Manjrekar further went onto say, “Clearly, he was bowling a bit slower. I was very interested to see how he thinks in the 50-over format. This is like a new challenge for him, he is more used to batters going after him, and that is where he thrives. There was one ball that I have never seen him, maybe he has in the IPL, and that was a proper leg-spinner, the kind Anil Kumble would bowl."

Meanwhile, former India batter Suresh Raina during his chat on Star Sports gave his opinion on India’s spin contingent for Champions Trophy. The 38-year-old said, “I think Varun is more used to bowling in T20Is for now, while Kuldeep has variety and wicket-taking ability. Most importantly, he rises to the occasion in big tournaments. I still remember the way he clean bowled Babar Azam in the ODI World Cup 2019. He has a different skill in his hands, Kuldeep carries massive experience with him of playing big matches.”