Varun completes redemption arc by exorcising the ghosts of Dubai

In just his second ODI, Varun registered his maiden five-wicket haul in the format. ©Getty
There seems to be a karmic connection between Varun Chakaravarthy and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS). In 2021, it was here that then-India coach Ravi Shastri first saw him and declared him a match-winner, recommending his inclusion in the Test squad for the upcoming tour of Australia.

Days later, he was treated like a club cricketer by Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, as Pakistan sauntered to a commanding 10-wicket victory in Twenty20 World Cup. It was also here that he was asked to open the bowling against New Zealand in the same tournament, only for him to return wicketless, once again. His so-called 'mystery' had clearly fizzled out.

On Sunday night, both his mojo and mystery were back. Given the inconsequential nature of the game, India fielded a crack, experimental squad that included four spinners and only one specialist fast bowler. Chakaravarthy, the fourth spinner, made an instant impact, returning with five wickets, and shook off the ghosts of 2021 as India cantered to an emphatic 44-run victory in a rather low-scoring game.

"Yeah, of course, in 2021, we didn't have -- I didn't, personally, have a great tournament here. But I do feel that I did bowl decently. But the results were not our way. But it looks good right now. And Team India is doing well," Chakaravarthy noted, looking back.

In three spells across ten overs, he pulverised the New Zealand batsmen with variations and left the Indian team management in a tizzy whether to pick him for the semifinal against Australia in a couple of days. "He has something different about him, so wanted to try and see what he can offer. We haven't thought much about the next game, but it's a good headache to have," skipper Rohit Sharma said post-match.

"Oh, he bowled beautifully, didn't he?," said Matt Henry, the New Zealand pacer who himself had a five-wicket haul in the match. "I think he showed his skill tonight, the way he turned the ball both ways, and even the way that he could bowl pace. I thought he was brilliant." Henry's figures were identical to Chakaravarthy's - 5 for 42.

The New Zealand batsmen, in pursuit of a modest 250, were cruising at 93 for two but as their skipper Mitchell Santner said, India squeezed them well with their four quality spinners. The standout among the four, of course, was Chakaravarthy who, incidentally, was only playing his second ODI.

As a bowler, Chakaravarthy is an enigma. Even someone as high profile as Rohit Sharma says that Chakaravarthy doesn't bowl all his variations, even in the nets. He is said to keep the mystery element close to his chest, so that the batsmen do not sort him out.

On Sunday, however, he was in a mood to reveal the secrets of his bowling. "Basically the ball that goes inside, outside and goes straight. So, you can keep it that way but there are minute changes that you can do with that also," he said, decoding his bowling. If only it was so simple. His mystery element is so subtle that picking him becomes as challenging as trying to play a white ball against a white sight screen.

Batsmen facing him should vouch for that. There are a few minute nuances that are difficult to pick - his point of delivery, drift in the air, change in speed and length. Accuracy is another key strength of Chakaravarthy, who primarily relies on deception. He is difficult to pick, and when the wicket offers support, as it did at DICS on Sunday night, it becomes a double whammy for the batsmen.

Chakaravarthy completed his full quota of 10 overs, and of the 60 deliveries he bowled, the five that mattered most - the wicket-taking ones - might not have been his best of the night. Will Young played one onto the stumps, becoming Chakaravarthy's first victim. Glenn Phillips, after hitting a six, grew a bit too ambitious, Michael Bracewell was given out LBW that was not and Mitchell Santner fell to a seam-up delivery that lacked any real mystery. Finally, Matt Henry was dismissed while attempting to accelerate. But the quality and deception in other 55 deliveries may have earned him the success in those seemingly innocuous deliveries.

"Yeah, I think I can do it better," he admitted later. "But I would definitely not term it as luck. But it was definitely planned out. I planned out all the deliveries. And if it happens, it happens. In cricket anything can happen and can't term it as luck."

With enough time in the one-dayers, it's always a challenge for the 33-year-old Chakaravarthy, who is primarily a product of T20 cricket. He thrives in the shorter format because, unlike in the ODIs, batsmen are often in a haste to attack him in T20s. However, the Tamil Nadu and Kolkata Knight Riders spinner has evolved, sharpening his craft in the 50-over Vijay Hazare tournament in domestic cricket.

"It really helped me to understand when I can bowl my incoming delivery, outgoing delivery or the straighter one," Chakaravarthy said, speaking about his shift to the 50-over game. "That gave me a sense of awareness of when to bowl. It is completely different from what I do in the T20. So, yeah, it took me a lot of playing."

That transition will face its big test on Tuesday when India take on Australia in the semifinal.