After being eliminated from consideration for the T20 World Cup, Ravi Bishnoi feels that a year of diligence, contemplation, and honing his skills has enabled him to seize an unforeseen chance and resurrect his ambitions.
He continued by thinking back on the previous year and what he had improved upon following his disappointing IPL results, in which he took just 9 wickets at an average of more than 44 from 11 games.
The Sanjiv Goenka-owned team finished seventh in the standings and missed the playoffs as a result of the poor returns. After being let go by the team, he was given a new beginning when the Rajasthan Royals bought him for Rs 7.20 crore at this year’s auction.
“The work I have done in the last one year was on my lengths because I didn’t do so well in the IPL last season. I didn’t have much control over my lengths and my lines in the last season. That’s why it was tough for me in the last season,” PTI quoted Bishnoi as saying at the press conference after India defeated New Zealand in the third T20I in Guwahati on Sunday.
“But I tried my best to bowl in the 5-6 metres length on the stumps as it is difficult to hit from those lengths… So, I tried my best.”
The 25-year-old wrist leg-spinner was not initially considered for the current T201 series against New Zealand. He last appeared for India against England in February of last year. Only after spin all-rounder Washington Sundar had a side strain earlier this month was he drafted into the team.
With Washington racing against time to regain fitness for the T20 World Cup, Bishnoi, despite being a specialist spinner, has strengthened his case.
Chances for Bishnoi were always limited because India already had a well-established spin lineup that included Washington, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, and vice-captain Axar Patel. In the third T201, Bishnoi took advantage of his fortunate opportunity with both hands, dismissing the threatening Mark Chapman (32) and Glenn Phillips (48) in consecutive spells and producing clean figures of 2/18 to ruin New Zealand’s middle overs.
The visitors were held to a meager 153/9 thanks to his precise lengths and speed through the air, before India chased it down in just 10 overs for an eight-wicket victory and an unbeatable 3-0 lead.
“Yes, it is difficult when you are away from the side, you feel like you should be there but you are not. This Indian team is very strong and there are very few spots available so limited opportunities. It was good because I had time to work on myself, I did a lot of work on myself,” Bishnoi said.
After a poor IPL season for the Lucknow Super Giants, Bishnoi returned to the grind in Jodhpur, played domestic cricket (Vijay Hazare, Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, and two Ranji matches), and concentrated on honing his lengths.
“All those things helped me a lot to make a comeback,” said Bishnoi, who took nine wickets in seven games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
“As a bowler, the T20 game is always difficult. Jassi Bhai (Bumrah) bowled well, Hardik Bhai (Pandya) bowled well, Harshit (Rana) also took the wicket in the starting. If we take two or three wickets earlier, it makes difficult for the batting team,” he said of the match.
Bishnoi did admit that there were a bit of butterflies in the stomach.
“And for the opportunity I got today, I was a little nervous. I was also excited because I got the opportunity. But at the same time, there was nervousness as well. You get one less opportunity and you have to perform in that. So, there was both nervous energy and excitement.”
“In the last one year, I have done the same thing that I don’t give the ball so easily. Because the pace I have in bowling, if it goes up and down, it becomes very easy for the batsman to go down and hit the ball. So, I tried to bowl at a good length. If the ball falls in that length at the speed, it is very difficult to hit the ball from that place.”
“I bowl according to the rhythm of my body. It’s not that I have to bowl more than 100 kmph or less than 100 kmph. I bowl the way I feel on a given day.”
India’s batting dominance, particularly Abhishek Sharma’s brilliant form, was also commended by Bishnoi.
“The way Abhishek is playing at the moment touch wood.. It’s required for India as well. It has not happened just like that. He has put in hard yards, he practices for hours at the nets you may have seen. If he continues like this, match gets over at six overs early as it happened today.”
