Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25: Arshdeep Singh’s mastery of length takes him closer to Test dream

Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25: Arshdeep Singh’s mastery of length takes him closer to Test dream

A misty morning that aided swing, a pitch conducive to seam movement and the toss going Punjab’s way – Arshdeep Singh had the tools to make some early dents in the Mumbai batting line-up during the Vijay Hazare Trophy encounter in Ahmedabad.

The Punjab fast bowler ran through the Mumbai top order picking up his second List A five-wicket haul as the team cantered to an eight-wicket win, which puts it in a strong position to qualify for the knockouts.

The left-arm pacer hit the right length from the first over, testing the outside edge of the right-hander before bringing one in to rap the batter on the pad. Both Mumbai openers fell victim to the set-up giving Punjab the start it sought.

A moment of brilliance at point by Ramandeep Singh, who held on to a one-handed catch high above his head helped the side see the back of the dangerous Suryakumar Yadav as the opponent stumbled to 20 for four in five overs.

“There was a bit of moisture on the wicket in the morning and we got to bowl first. The aim was to hit the right areas and when a wicket falls in the first over, your confidence increases,” Arshdeep told Sportstar.

“The ball came out well in the previous game too and I was riding on that confidence. There was help from the wicket, there was some swing and I had good support from the other end to keep up the pressure,” he added.

The length ball has been Arshdeep’s biggest ally in international cricket. Since 2022, he has picked the most wickets for any left-arm pacer with the length ball in T20Is, his main format. Among left-armers with at least ten wickets in this period, the Punjab seamer has been able to swing the ball the most, with 22 per cent of his deliveries moving in the air.

Arshdeep is far from a one-trick pony. After utilising the movement in the air early on in the day against Mumbai, he was quick to adjust his length to Shreyas Iyer who has been troubled by the short ball in the past.

The Mumbai skipper was looking solid, ducking under the first couple of bouncers, punishing the over-pitched balls to the boundary. A back-of-a-length ball on the body from Arshdeep proved to be his undoing as he inside-edged a short-arm jab onto the stumps.

The next wicket fell off the same length. Shivam Dube was no match to the ball on fifth stump, nicking it to first slip. At the end of his seven-over first spell, Arshdeep had reduced Mumbai to 60 for six.

“Mumbai has a heavy batting line-up. We wanted to take as many wickets as possible in the beginning. I was getting a wicket almost every over so the energy was there to continue bowling a long spell,” the 25-year-old said.

Even when he didn’t have the ball in hand, Arshdeep was in constant conversation with the bowler while standing at mid-on.

“Everyone knows their roles and responsibilities. I was asking them to keep it simple, and not give away many runs because the team tends to score quickly. Due to the pressure at one end, I was able to pick wickets at the other,” the pacer opined.

Despite having played 60 T20Is in his short two-year career, Arshdeep has played only eight ODIs for his nation. He impressed in the small sample space of opportunities provided to him, earning the Player of the Series award in South Africa last year after picking ten wickets in three matches, but he isn’t too disheartened.

“I am in a good space of mind. The ball is coming out of the hand well. The fitness is there as well, but I’m not desperate. I’ll continue giving my best in the opportunities provided and try to enjoy my game,” he said.

The next step in the 25-year-old’s career will be to break into the Indian Test team. Sixty-six First Class wickets in 21 matches at an average of 30.37 aren’t mind-boggling numbers but the left-arm pacer has his eyes set on being an all-format International.

“Test cricket is the toughest format but it is also the one with the best feel. It is mentally and physically challenging but you get the satisfaction at the end,” he said.

“In Tests, you have to pick wickets with your skill rather than the batters playing false shots, so it requires a lot more patience. You get the reward for the tiring effort you’ve put in,” he added.

“Like everybody else, I too aim to play all three formats for India and win matches for the country,” he concluded.