Most bowlers find it tough to contain batsmen in death overs but young India pacer Deepak Chahar relishes the challenge in the Twenty20 format.

With India giving youngsters opportunities ahead of the T20 World Cup next year, 27-year-old Chahar has impressed in the three games he has got since making his debut in July last year, taking six wickets at 11.50. 

Used to opening the bowling for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Chahar has shown he can be equally effective in the death overs. 

“I don’t know how I developed it (bowling at the top) but you have to do it when you are playing for India. It is challenging with only two fielders outside the circle. But I have started thinking sub-consciously that I will need to bowl three overs with two fielders outside the circle,” said Chahar, who was India’s standout bowler in their seven-wicket win over South Africa. 

In his opening spell of three overs, Chahar swung the ball and picked up the wicket of Reeza Hendricks before returning in the 18th over to remove a set Temba Bavuma with a well disguised slower ball. 

“Earlier I used to bowl more in the death overs and find it easier because in Powerplay you have only two fielders outside the circle and after that you have the protection of five fielders. You can use variation also in death overs,” he said. 

Chahar said he focuses on outguessing the batsman. 

“How I bowl depends on the batsmen. In the death overs, the batsmen is expecting yorkers or a slower ball but if you can also bowl a bouncer or knuckle ball, it can surprise him. You to have to keep guessing the batsman,” said the Rajasthan pacer. 

He feels bowling on flat wickets in Chennai during the IPL has made him a better bowler. 

“There is no off the wicket help when you are playing in Chennai. But when we were playing in Pune last to last year, there was help both off the wicket and in the air. But in Chennai, the swing is there for maximum one over as there is no grass. So, I got confidence that if I could do well there, I could do well elsewhere too,” he said. 

Chahar has grabbed his chances so far but knows he is far from cementing his place in the side ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia. 

“There is one whole year left for that. I play each match as if it is my last for India. At this time Indian cricket is at the top. If you want to play you have to do well in almost every game. There is a lot of competition and may be that is why Indian cricket is at the top. 

“There is no guarantee that you will get your place back even if you are returning from an injury.” 

Talking about Virat Kohli’s match-winning knock of 72 not out, Chahar was all praise. 

“He is just next level and all class,” he said. 

 I don’t think we were outplayed by beatable India: Bavuma  

Inability to cash in on a good start cost South Africa but the visitors were in no way outplayed in the second T20 International against India, insists Proteas Test specialist Temba Bavuma, who had a decent outing in his debut in the shortest format. 

South Africa looked set for 180 when skipper Quinton de Kock (52) and Bavuma (49) were in the middle before the southpaw’s dismissal put the brakes on the scoring rate, limiting the total to 149 for five. 

“The first 10-12 overs we played really well. I think we could not really get going after a good start and lost the game between 12th to the 15th over,” Bavuma, who has played 36 Tests, said after the seven-wicket loss to India. 

“When David came in the 13th over, we were in a strong position, 180 seemed very much gettable at the halfway stage. I was not really able to get that momentum and others as well. I don’t think we were completely outplayed,” said Bavuma who missed out on a well-deserved fifty by one run in his attempt to accelerate. 

The 29-year-old from Cape Town said India are formidable but not unbeatable as the Proteas aim to level the series in Bengaluru on Sunday. 

“They are formidable but not unbeatable. It was just one phase with the bat where we let ourselves down and a quality side like India made us pay. 

“There will always be moments in the game which we can win and it is about being aware of those moments and making sure we are in the right mental space to win those moments,” said Bavuma. 

It is a new look South African team and in the absence of a few players, including skipper Faf du Plessis, Bavuma got the opportunity to play his maiden T20 international alongside Anrich Nortje and Bjorn Fortuin. 

Playing his first limited-overs game for South Africa in almost two years, Bavuma made it count. 

“It was good to be out there. Facing the white ball again. It has been a while. It was a pleasing effort but did not do much to the result of the game. Last (domestic) season was a big season for me in white ball cricket. There were not many Tests and that allowed me to play white ball cricket. 

“I got the opportunity to come back to the national fold. It helped me understand what my gameplan is in white ball cricket,” he explained. 

Is it tougher to make a T20 debut when one is being branded a red-ball specialist, like Bavuma? 

“I don’t see myself as a selfish person. I always put the team first. If you look at the way that I got out it showed I put the team first. It could be challenging for some others who know they will get only limited opportunities at the international level but not for me,” he said. 

The game saw two brilliant catches from Virat Kohli and David Miller. 

Bavuma picked Miller’s spectacular catch of Shikhar Dhawan at long-on over the one taken by Kohli to dismiss de Kock. 

“I would be biased here but Miller’s catch was phenomenal. I thought it was six but he managed to hold on to it,” said Bavuma.