Varun Chakaravarthy emerged victorious in a subtle psychological battle with Australian batter Tim David during the second T20I between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The exchange of mind games became one of the highlights of the match.
Australia, chasing 126 runs, appeared comfortable when captain Mitchell Marsh was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav in the 8th over. With only 39 runs needed off 12 overs, the visitors seemed in control, but India’s spinners tightened the grip.
Chakaravarthy, who had already dismissed Travis Head, set an aggressive field for David’s arrival. Tilak Varma moved to a forward short-leg spot, prompting laughter from David, who recognized India captain Suryakumar Yadav’s attempt at creating pressure.
When Chakaravarthy began his run-up, David stepped away, delaying play. The bowler returned the gesture by pausing before his next delivery, leading to light-hearted reactions from both Suryakumar and the commentators.
After a few exchanges, David tried to push his way off the mark but soon fell to Chakaravarthy, chipping the ball straight back to the bowler, who caught it cleanly. The spinner ended the duel with a simple yet satisfying dismissal.
“Chakaravarthy had the last laugh when he got another crack at the hard-hitting batter.”
Chakaravarthy’s calculated composure and tactical approach turned a tense exchange with Tim David into a key breakthrough for India during the Melbourne T20I.