Arshdeep Singh shone brightly as the standout performer for India in the initial One Day International (ODI) clash against South Africa, delivering a stellar performance with sensational figures of 5/37. His remarkable contribution played a pivotal role in the Men in Blue dominating the hosts and securing a resounding victory with eight wickets to spare.
In a post-match interview with Avesh Khan, shared by BCCI in a video, Arshdeep Singh expressed his satisfaction at manifesting the aspiration to claim the Player of the Match award. He was delighted to see his intentions materialize exactly as he had envisioned.
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Here’s an excerpt from Arshdeep Singh’s conversation with Avesh Khan, providing insights into his outstanding performance:
“It will seem like I am making this up, but before sleeping yesterday, I visualized myself winning the Player of the Match award, getting five wickets and doing my aeroplane celebration. I just try to be in a positive mindset and even the support staff helps me in that no matter what the result. Just focusing on doing all the good things and I am feeling really good.”
He further added:
“Feeling really great and I have to say that the photoshoot I did with you gave me a lot of motivation (Avesh laughs). It made me push to do well. The plan was just to bowl in the line of the stumps and get batters LBW or bowled. There was enough help in the pitch.”
Avesh Khan credits Arshdeep Singh’s exceptional bowling spell for setting the stage for his own outstanding performance. Avesh had a remarkable game, securing four crucial wickets while conceding only 27 runs. According to him, Arshdeep Singh’s impactful start laid a solid foundation, allowing the Madhya Pradesh pacer to seamlessly build on the momentum and consistently apply pressure on the opposition.
Reflecting on the dynamic of the match, Avesh Khan stated:
“You (Arshdeep) had set it up nicely for me with 2-3 early wickets and that made my job easier. I was just trying to bowl wicket-to-wicket and keep up the pressure and it was great that I picked four wickets.”
He further added:
“I was just trying to focus on whatever was in my control. Even when I was not playing in T20Is, I was preparing for the ODIs by bowling 7-8 overs in the nets. The workload is different in ODIs and so I try to focus on my process and try to get the best out of myself for the team.”
