The redemption has well and truly arrived for the Indian bowlers

8th September 2021: The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, leaving the fans stunned as the team management decided not to include Yuzvendra Chahal in the team.

There ain't any doubt that the leg spinner did not have an exceptional 2021 season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, and managed to scalp 18 wickets at an economy rate of 7.1 runs per over. With the conditions set to get slower on the sluggish pitches on offer at the venue after the second half of the Indian Premier League, India opted to acquire the services of Varun Chakaravarthy and Rahul Chahar for the mega event. 

While the performance of the Indian tweakers were out for the world to see, it was hard to phantom the fact that someone of the calibre of Chahal was left out of the squad after some lukewarm performances. 

Over eight months since India's dismal campaign came to an end, the Men in Blue have undergone a plethora of personnel changes in their bid to prepare for the upcoming World Cup Down Under later this year. 

And to help them on their road to finding the ideal combination for the iconic event, the revamped and rejigged edition of the IPL, along with a home series against the formidable Proteas, are the stepping stones to their ultimate goal. 

While the bowling unit of the Indian side endured a torrid time in the first two matches, the third match of the series showcased tremendous grit and determination from the team to bounce back after having their backs against the wall to record a thumping win and survive in the series. 

Welcome back, Yuzvendra Chahal

And speaking of grit, there is one man in the Indian bowling unit who has been through a roller coaster ride in the past year. After being one of India's leading spinners, Chahal suddenly found himself out of favour for the world event. 

With an eye to secure his place on the flight to Australia, these five-match home series are highly crucial for the leg spinner in deciding the fortunes of his career. 

Despite the first two games not going according to plan, Chahal vowed to improve on his performance and set foot at Vizag, aiming to redeem himself. 

The architect of South Africa's downfall is Visakhapatnam, the 31-year old was back at his lethal best in the middle overs to help India derail the batting unit of the Proteas in pursuit of 180. 

While the fans of Indian cricket were accustomed to seeing Chahal weave his magic in pink for the Rajasthan Royals for over two months, his underwhelming exploits in the national colours were an area of concern, especially on home soil. 

However, tonight was all about immaculate skills and consistency as he troubled the batters by bowling slower through the air on a slow surface to dismantle the opposition batting unit. 

In the first two matches, Chahal was guilty of bowling in the hitting arc of the batters and was a tad fuller in length. However, in this game, he consistently bowled a nagging length around the good length mark to trouble the batters on a wicket, assisting the spinners. 

"I was bowling too many quick sliders in the last game, and today I tried to bowl quick leg breaks, but with a different seam position today. I want to turn and dip the ball, I couldn't do it the last time, so they were able to hit through the line. I tried to get some turn and change the line of the ball," he revealed in the post-match conversation.

Another essential aspect in the above pitch map is the cluster of deliveries in line with the stumps, which helps us realise that Chahal has made a conscious effort to ensure he does not give the batters any room to free their arms and take advantage of the shorter boundaries. 

Harshal's steady rise as India's 'Mr Dependable'

While Chahal weaved his magic and stifled South Africa post the powerplay, the Indian team found another star performer, who has been making all the noises for the right reasons with his ability to deliver under pressure when the chips are down. 

After leaving the world of cricket in awe with his consistency in bowling the difficult overs in the shortest format, Harshal produced one of his best performances in the national jersey to guide India over the line. 

Making optimum use of the slower deliveries on the sluggish wicket, the 31-year old executed his plans to absolute perfection to scalp four wickets and dismantle South Africa's batting unit. 

"We wanted to execute certain plans which didn't work out in the last few games for us. You follow the process and those are the things that improve your game. We want to continue to achieve our bowling goals," he shared in the post-match interview. 

On a day that mattered the most, given India's record of not losing a T20I series in three years,  the bowling unit did pull up their socks, just like their skipper wanted to win their first match against South Africa across formats in seven attempts in this season. 

With the Indian team finding their mojo, the remaining two fixtures promise to be an exciting contest with the two heavyweights locking horns with the series on the line.

Over to Rajkot!