Chahar: Shifted focus from red to white ball as IPL was an easier route to India colors

A remarkably candid Deepak Chahar on Tuesday said he understood early in his career that switching his focus to white-ball cricket and IPL was fastest and easiest route to India dressing room. Agra-based baller started with a brilliant 8 for 10 in his Ranji Trophy debut against Hyderabad, but for all practical purposes, knew that a speed of 125 kmph with red ball would take him where near international cricket.

"When I changed my action to gain speed, I struggled with my state team. w suddenly, I found that my road towards entering Indian team to be very difficult. If I had to take Ranji route, n I would have had to play more matches, play a whole first-class season, play Duleep Trophy. That's a long road," Chahar said, re was a refreshing honesty in his admission.

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'My struggle with injuries was due to my efforts to increase pace'

"But if you do well in IPL, n you can quickly play for India and during that phase of my career, I decided to concentrate on white-ball cricket," Chahar, who is an automatic choice in T20 cricket w, said ahead of India's second ODI against West Indies. medium-pacer came into India reckoning after two seasons with IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings. "When I came to Ranji Trophy, I used to bowl 125 kmph. My struggle with injuries was due to my efforts to increase pace. Because I knew that I won't be able to survive with that kind of pace at international level. I had to increase it close to 140 clicks and get it to swing.

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"A swinging delivery at 135 to 137 kmph is most difficult delivery for any batsman. I can vouch that even 150 km on a flat track can be easier to handle." As focus shifted on becoming a good white-ball bowler, Chahar realised that swinging a white ball is twice as difficult as red ball. "A red ball will even (reverse) swing if it's shiny on one side. That's why, at Ranji level, a lot of bowlers can move ball both ways. In white ball, swing is t because of shine (lacquer). It is derived through action. So I worked on that also and increased my pace. "I have a good slower bouncer and I am working on my yorker. w I am confident that even if I am hit for two sixes, I can bowl a yorker." confidence came under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership at Chennai Super Kings ahead of 2019 IPL season.

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"Before 2019 IPL, I prepared a lot bowling on Chennai track. Since I bowl three overs in Powerplay for CSK, and if you don't have a yorker at Chepauk, where ball doesn't swing, it will be difficult. But I can get even better." Chahar is only two ODIs old but he has identified his weak area in this format, which is bowling in second Powerplay when re are only four fielders outside 30-yard circle. "ODI is most difficult format. In T20s, all you look to do is escape without getting hit. So, if you haven't taken wickets but had figures of 0/24 in 4 overs, that's perfectly fine. In Test match, its opposite. You have to attack, maybe go for runs but also take wickets. "But ODIs is a mix of both where you have to be restrictive as well as take wickets. Read situations well. It has helped that I played a lot of List A games for India A and understood how to bowl in that second Powerplay. Earlier, I couldn't figure out as to how I can contain a batsman in middle overs. I will learn more as I play more."

"My thinking is since you have only two fielders outside circle during first Powerplay, this seems a bit easier when re are two more. And with that, you also need variation at death. t always easy to man everything." When asked what's a defendable target on this track, Chahar replied: "I think we had a par-score in Chennai and we bowled badly. I hope we don't repeat mistakes that we made. "I can't as a bowler always ask batsmen to give me 350 runs to defend. 288 was defendable in Chennai. I think we as bowlers also need to win matches."

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