The Indian team, holding a 1-0 advantage in the series, had opted to bowl first. The atmosphere was charged, but unfortunately for young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, it became one of the most forgettable overs of his career.
The new Chandigarh showdown
The match was progressing tightly, with India’s bowlers aiming to restrict the intimidating South African batting line-up. The middle overs were proving to be decisive as India was trying to hold the pressure. The focus was particularly on containing established hitters like Quinton de Kock, who was already settled at the crease. When Arshdeep Singh stepped up to bowl the 11th over of the South African innings, no one predicted the sheer volume of deliveries that would follow. The young pacer repeatedly strayed far outside the acceptable line. He ended up bowling not one, not two, but a total of seven wide deliveries in a single over. The tally of balls bowled stretched to a total of thirteen deliveries.
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The costly calculation
Arshdeep’s intention was clear about testing the South African batsmen with demanding wide yorkers. It is a technique often employed to prevent boundary hitting. However, the execution was disastrously off the mark. He struggled profoundly with his radar, sending six of the wide deliveries way outside the off-stump and one straying down the leg-side. This persistent failure to find the sweet spot resulted in easy additions to the scoreboard, effectively nullifying the tight bowling efforts of his teammates. The over haemorrhaged a painful 18 runs, which came to be a huge gift to the opposition.
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Gautam Gambhir, now responsible for steering the team as head coach, could barely contain his frustration. His anger was palpable and captured instantly on camera. The sight of the pacer delivering wide after wide, demonstrating a complete lapse in control, clearly infuriated the coach.
