Sydney (The Hawk): The young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh's ability to handle pressure in crucial moments of the game impressed India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, who called it "phenomenal," on Wednesday.
Arshdeep took 3/32 in his four overs in India's T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan at a sold-out Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday. He also caught the opposition captain Babar Azam lbw on his first ball of the game and then bowled out Mohammad Rizwan and Asif Ali with short balls.
In the pre-match press conference prior to India's second Super 12 match, Mhambrey said of Arshdeep, "If you follow him (Arshdeep) for the last couple of years and you look at the way he's performed, one thing that really stands out with the kid is his ability to bear pressure. He does the hard work in the IPL, he does different things as per the phases he bowls, which are the power-play and death overs. The composure
Arshdeep's spell and Hardik Pandya's 3/30 helped India successfully restrict Pakistan to 159/8, which they then thrillingly chased down off the final ball. He also made history by being the first bowler to dismiss Azam and Rizwan, two of Pakistan's most effective openers, for just one run in the same innings.
We have a lot of confidence in him and he has a bright future for us, said Mhambrey. "There's a phase he will go through, there will be ups and downs in his career, but the way he's come back (after receiving vicious trolling for dropping a catch against Pakistan in the Asia Cup), the clarity he's shown and ability to handle pressure, is phenomenal.
Arshdeep is playing competitive cricket in Australia for the first time in this tournament, and Mhambrey praised him for soaking up important information from senior pacers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami, who have participated in numerous matches here while on previous tours.
"It starts with a lot of discussion. He is the type of guy who likes to talk a lot. He had a chat with other senior players and talks a lot with players like Bhuvi and Shami as well because those guys have played out here (in Australia).
"I'll give him credit for that, too, for talking to me and figuring out what was needed. Individual skills are needed, though, in order to be able to go into action and complete the task on your own. In that regard, I will give him credit," he said.
(Inputs from Agencies)