'The thing I am liking the most is that he is bowling slow in the air' - Aakash Chopra on Varun Chakaravarthy

Varun Chakaravarthy made his return to the Indian team after a three-year hiatus during the T20I series at home against Bangladesh late last year. Since then, he has been in sensational form, producing consistent performances in almost every game. On Wednesday, January 22, the mystery spinner won the Player of the Match award in the first ODI between India and England at the Eden Gardens as he picked up three important wickets.

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra pointed out that Chakaravarthy has been bowling much slower than he used to. Chopra also praised him for his performance with the ball inside the powerplay. The former opening batter noted that Chakaravarthy was looking to fly the ball.

"Since the time Varun Chakaravarthy has come back, he has started bowling in the powerplay. He came and bowled the sixth over and his bowling was incredible. The thing I am liking the most is that he is bowling slow in the air. He is happy to just flight the ball," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"Pace is a huge marker in my opinion, because nowadays, spinners become fast as soon as they get hit and fast bowlers become slow. If a spinner bowls with confidence, he goes slow. You go slow even if you are hit for a six unless you are a Rashid Khan. His bowling style is different. He will bowl fast. However, Varun Chakaravarthy is not Rashid," Chopra added.

Since his comeback, Chakaravarthy has picked up 20 wickets from eight matches at an average of 11.70 and a strike rate of 9.60. His economy rate is a commendable 7.31.

Also Read: England have got to find a different method of trying to put Varun under pressure: Michael Vaughan

India won the first T20I against England with consummate ease as they chased down a 133-run target with seven wickets and 43 balls to spare. The home side will look to double their lead in the five-match series when they square off against the Three Lions in the second T20I at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, January 25.