The Indian cricket team has multiple big-name players in their ranks who could win a match single-handedly on their day but leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is expected to take the upcoming series against Australia by the scruff of it’s neck.

India are scheduled to play two T20Is against the Aussies followed by a five-match ODI series. Australia’s blockbuster tour of India will begin with the first T20I in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

Also Read: Statistical preview of the first T20I in Visakhapatnam

Chahal has been enjoying a good run of form in white-ball cricket for a while now and did exceedingly well in Australia and New Zealand recently. Although the leg-spinner didn’t feature in the T20I series in Australia and also failed to seal a spot in the first four ODIs, when he was brought into the side for the final ODI, he returned with outstanding figures of 6/42.

In New Zealand, Chahal was on top of his game and scalped nine wickets in India’s historic win in the five-match ODI series. Chahal wasn’t at his best in the T20I series against the Kiwis and it was one of the reasons for India’s 1-2 defeat.

Chahal will be eager to put on a great performance against Australia at home and prove that his performances in New Zealand T20Is were a minor blip along the way. Moreover, in the absence of rested Kuldeep Yadav the onus will be on Chahal to be the premier wicket-taking spinner for the ‘Men in Blue’.

Speaking to Hindustan Times recently, Chahal revealed he is looking to put his best put forward in the forthcoming series against the Aussies as this will be the last international series that India will be playing before the World Cup.

“Obviously it will be important because this will be the last series before the World Cup. After this we only have the IPL and then the World Cup. So that makes this series all the more important and that too against a side like Australia,” he said.

“This is the last series before the World Cup so my personal goal is to finish on a high and come back strongly in the showpiece event. It gives you immense confidence.”

Chahal also feels that it will be advantage India as they are back in the conditions they are most familiar with. “The wickets will be an advantage as the wickets are slow and take turn which you don’t get in Australia. Also, since we won the series in Australia so the pressure will be on them,” he pointed.

Chahal is also on the cusp of adding a fresh feather into his already illustrious cap as he needs five wickets to complete 50 wickets in T20Is. So, Ravichandran Ashwin remains the only Indian to achieve this milestone.

Also, if Chahal (45 wickets in 29 matches) picks a fifer in the Vizag T20I, he will become the second-fastest bowler in the world to scalp 50 wickets in the shortest format after Sri Lanka cricketer Ajanta Mendis (50 wickets in 26 matches).

First Published: Feb 24, 2019 11:04 IST