Mark Boucher hailed the skillful performance of Indian spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakravarthy, crediting their tight spells for India’s 61-run win over South Africa.
Mark Boucher Praises Indian Spin Duo’s Dominance
Former South African batter and coach Mark Boucher praised Indian spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakravarthy for their exceptional performance in India’s first T20I win against South Africa at Kingsmead Stadium in Durban on November 8, 2024.
“Varun Chakravarthy has come on leaps and bounds. The way that he bowled tonight with Bishnoi, what a great partnership that the two of them had in the middle of there. Klaasen looked out of sync, to be honest, he didn’t look like he was in good form at all,” Boucher said about the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner on JioCinema.
Boucher commended the duo’s ability to control the game and put South African batters on the back foot, saying they created a “men against boys” situation on the field.
India, defending a target of 202, relied on Bishnoi and Chakravarthy in the middle overs, where both spinners took three wickets each.
South Africa’s top hitters, including Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, struggled against the Indian spin attack, ultimately being bowled out for 141 and losing by 61 runs.
Boucher’s High Praise for Bishnoi and Chakravarthy Partnership
Boucher specifically highlighted the synergy between Bishnoi and Chakravarthy, noting how their variations and control disrupted South Africa’s scoring momentum.
“They were never really in with a shout, always looked like something that gonna happen, something that was gonna give. I think they bowled nine balls for three runs at some stage to build up pressure. They really made it almost look like men against boys to be fair,” the 47-year-old said.
he commented, admiring how the two spinners slowed down the South African innings and built pressure.
Chakravarthy’s unique spin variations, combined with Bishnoi’s accuracy, created an effective partnership, leaving the South African batters with few options to accelerate.
The South African team found it difficult to pick Chakravarthy’s deliveries, as he combined his experience with precise seam positioning to make the ball unreadable.
Bishnoi added to the challenge by maintaining tight line and length, especially in the critical middle overs. This partnership led to crucial dismissals that tipped the match in India’s favour.
David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen Struggle to Pick Spin
David Miller, a reliable middle-order batter, particularly struggled against Bishnoi, facing multiple dot balls before being dismissed for an 18 off 22 balls.
Klaasen, too, appeared out of sync, managing only 25 off 22 balls before losing his wicket to Chakravarthy.
Boucher noted that Miller and Klaasen’s inability to pick the spinners effectively illustrated the dominance of the Indian bowlers on a spin-friendly pitch.
“I was watching a couple of his (Ravi Bishnoi) balls come out a little bit different and I think what he did really well tonight, especially in the dark, is he changed the seam up. Sometimes you look at the ball, especially as a wicket-keeper as well. You look at the ball and see if you can see it spinning different ways. But he muddled his seam up very nicely,” the former wicketkeeper-batter said.
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“David Miller wasn’t picking a thing at all. I mean, there’s one over there where I think he missed four out of the six deliveries he faced. So yeah, he was bowled really well tonight, and it just goes to show two quality spinners. There was something there for the ballers, on that wicket. Something that South African bowlers could not exploit,” Boucher said, summarising how the Indian spinners completely took control of the game.
With India leading the T20I series 1-0, the next match will take place on November 10 at St George’s Park, Gqeberha, where South Africa will hope to counter India’s potent spin attack.
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