Varun Chakaravarthy: ‘I’m interested in Test cricket but my bowling style doesn’t suit long-form game’

“I do (have an interest in Test cricket), but my bowling style doesn’t suit Test cricket,” while speaking in a podcast with Gobinath on his YouTube channel, Varun said. “Mine is almost like medium pace. In Test cricket, you’ve to continuously bowl 20-30 overs. I can’t do that in my bowling. Since I bowl quick, the maximum I can bowl is 10-15 overs which is not suited for red ball. I am focusing on 20 overs and 50 overs white ball cricket for now,” he added.

The 33-year-old was wrecker-in-chief against New Zealand during the group stage match and picked a five-wicket haul, helping India dismantle a strong Kiwi side.

He picked nine wickets in just three games and was the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament just behind New Zealand’s Matt Henry.

Happy to leave fast bowling

The Tamil Nadu spinner also said that he has no regrets leaving pace bowling for spin. Varun started his cricketing career as a wicket-keeper, then during his college days, he was a fast bowler but an injury-induced decision of taking up spin bowling led him to play for India.

On being asked whether he has any regrets about leaving pace bowling, Varun said: “No. That’s why I am here. I would’ve been stuck there had I bowled pace. There are so many pacers. Also, it doesn’t swing in Tamil Nadu wickets. They are spin-friendly wickets. So you can’t see many fast bowlers from Tamil Nadu. It is very rare. There is Balaji and Natarajan but there are many pacers in other states. I am happy that I left fast bowling. Even (Ravichandran) Ashwin became a spinner after leaving fast bowling. So I am happy.”