Arshdeep Singh credits his success to THIS senior India pacer - Check

Arshdeep Singh credits his success in the ongoing T20 World Cup to senior pace bowling partner Bhuvneshwar Kumar who, he feels, has been creating relentless pressure in Powerplay overs which has made it easier for him to get wickets. Arshdeep had struck vital blows in both his opening overs against Pakistan and South Africa, removing top batters like Babar Azam and Quinton de Kock respectively.

David Miller and Aiden Markram smashed half-centuries to lead South Africa to a five-wicket win over India in Perth on Sunday and put them in pole position for a semi-final berth at the T20 World Cup. South Africa's bowlers, led by Lungi Ngidi, restricted India to 133-9 and then their batsmen passed While Arshdeep has taken seven wickets in three games at an economy rate of 7.83, Bhuvneshwar, despite three wickets in as many games, has been phenomenal with an economy rate of 4.87 in the 10.4 overs that he has bowled.

"We study the batters' weaknesses and myself and Bhuvi bhai try to get some swing first up and beat the batter at start. I'm able to attack the batter because Bhuvi bhai is bowling so economically that the batter is already under pressure," Arshdeep told reporters after India's five-wicket defeat to South Africa on Sunday.

Bhuvneshwar's effectiveness might not reflect in the wickets' column but he has got appreciable movement in all the three games to keep batters under check. Both pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar and captain Rohit Sharma were left ruing India's missed chances in the field after the defeat to South Africa. The normally electric Virat Kohli missed a crucial catch while Rohit himself missed an easy run-out chance.

Bhuvneshwar made no bones about the fact that he was "Credit for my success goes to him. The batters aren't taking chances against him (Bhuvneshwar) and are doing that with me. So we have forged a good partnership. A bowling partnership is as important as batting partnership," Arshdeep added. His own confidence has been boosted by the breakthroughs he has got in initial overs. "You feel confident when you get wickets first up and team also feels confident of your abilities." Arshdeep found the Perth track the paciest in his short but eventful international career.

"It was great track to bowl on. It was a dream wicket for any fast bowler and perhaps the spiciest of the tracks I have bowled so far in my career," he said. However, there is no ideal length applicable to all the bowlers in these kind of tracks. "Ideal length will change for every bowler on this track. The day ball swings around a bit, you would like to bowl that fullish length and when there is no purchase from the track, then you bowl normal hard lengths. "Both teams used the wicket pretty well and used the hard lengths to execute their plans."

After emerging on top of a nail-biter against Pakistan and a one-sided win against minnows Netherlands, Team India got their first shock of the 2022 T20 World Cup with a five-wicket defeat against a superior South African team in Perth on Sunday. The Proteas pacers led by Lungi Ngidi produced a Arshdeep sidestepped the question on why senior spinner R Ashwin was given the 18th over.

"If you are playing five bowlers, wherever Rohit bhai felt that he should bring in Ashwin he did that," Arshdeep said in defence of the move. Could 145 have been a defendable target on this track? "That's a case of ifs and buts. May be 133 would have been good enough and at times even 160 seems less. So unless you score 145, you wouldn't be knowing," Arshdeep signed off.