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An India-Pakistan match has the potential to make or break a career of a cricketer. In Arshdeep Singh's case, did it make or break his career? As for the hundreds of uneducated folks, with negligible knowledge of the sport, who have been relentlessly targeting the 23-year-old on social media, the Asia Cup 2022 game between India and Pakistan might have derailed Arshdeep's career. But those, who can keep emotions aside to ensure untainted judgment, wouldn't shy away from admitting that one mistake cannot obliterate the unrivaled skill possessed by the hardworking left-arm pacer.
The Punjab Kings (PBKS) bowler has endured a lot in the last three days. He was tasked with bowling two crunch last overs, first against Pakistan and then versus Sri Lanka. India ended up losing both the games but Arshdeep managed to secure a minuscule win for himself. The left-arm seamer put on a lion-hearted effort under immeasurable pressure, something he wouldn't have come close to experiencing while playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Let's roll back the clock to September 4 (Sunday). When Asif Ali (batting on zero at the time) skied Ravi Bishnoi's delivery in the 18th over (Pakistan needed 31 runs off 16 balls), the time had come to a standstill. The higher the ball went and the more time it took to come down, one could only assume what was going inside Arshdeep's head while settling under the ball at short third-man. Perhaps, he had too much time than his liking and he dropped an absolute sitter. Onlookers, including Indian players inside the boundary cushion, were stunned.
Never in his wildest dream, Arshdeep would have imagined that one drop catch would make him the villain. He watched Asif Ali dispatch Bhuvneshwar Kumar's delivery to the boundary and into the stands in the following over. When he came into bowl the last over, it won't be wrong to say that the drop catch was still running in his head. But the manner in which he executed under tremendous pressure, nailed his trademark yorkers, varied his pace and length to deceive batters, Arshdeep displayed nerves of steel. He dismissed Asif Ali (16 runs off eight balls) with a perfect yorker and infused life into the contest.
Ultimately though, his effort went in vain as Pakistan managed to score the required seven runs but Arshdeep deserved applause for how he pushed the game as deep as it went. Instead, once the game climaxed, the 23-year-old saw intense abuse and trolls hurled at him on social media.
"Honestly, guys don't look too much into social media, there's too much crap happening there," captain Rohit Sharma said at the post-match press conference after India's game against Sri Lanka.
"A few losses here and there, few games here and there, one drop catch…I don't think we look too much into it.
"Yes, he himself was disappointed because it was a catch that could've been taken, but again if you saw his confidence in that final over, he nailed that yorker pretty well to get Asif Ali out. That shows if he was down and out, when you're mentally not there, the execution doesn't happen. But in his case, he came out confident to execute. In fact, he just ran into his place and took the ball, because he wanted that over to be bowled by him," the Indian skipper added.
Two days later, the left-arm seamer found himself defending seven runs again in the last over against Sri Lanka. This time, the stakes were even higher as a defeat would all but end India's quest for the eighth Asia Cup title. Arshdeep nailed four consecutive yorkers against the set Sri Lankan batters and conceded five runs off four balls. In the end, Rishabh Pant and Arshdeep combined to concede two extras on the fifth ball as the five-time champions closed the game.
Once again, the youngster proved his worth by executing under pressure. How often have we seen experienced bowlers miss their mark in crunch time? Bhuvneshwar struggled to get his radar right in both the matches in death overs. Thus, the manner in which Arshdeep bowled in both matches was commendable and his captain was the first one to acknowledge the good work.
"Even today (versus Sri Lanka), he bowled pretty well, those last two overs," Rohit added.
"He is a very confident lad, that's why he is here. He has been with the team ahead of a lot of guys who are sitting back home because he's clear in his mind, a very confident lad. I've not seen many people like that in their early days of playing for India. He's very confident and wants to do well. He's quite hungry for success for the team, which is a good sign for me as captain. Even Rahul (Dravid) bhai will tell you, we're very happy with how he takes his game, and how approaches his game," the 35-year-old affirmed.
So far in his nascent career, Arshdeep has proven to be a lethal asset for Team India. His skill set is not just restricted to nailing the popping crease, the left-arm seamer boasts the ability to swing the new ball both ways as well. In 10 T20Is, the 23-year-old has accounted for 13 wickets at an economy rate of 7.60.
Arshdeep's potency in death overs, however, is unrivaled. In T20Is this year, the left-arm seamer's economy rate in death overs (6.70) is far better than his experienced compatriots Jasprit Bumrah (10), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (10.07), Hardik Pandya (10.25) and Harshal Patel (11.11).
Arshdeep is the kind of bowler Team India has craved since Zaheer Khan walked away from the sport. Apart from being a left-arm pacer and adding variety to the attack, the 23-year-old's acumen and composure transcend his age. Since dropping that catch against Pakistan, the young Indian pacer has redeemed himself, and those who understand the game can attest to this.
