"His skill has gone up and his game-reading sense was also good" - RP Singh lauds Arshdeep Singh's spell in 4th India vs West Indies T20I

RP Singh has lauded Arshdeep Singh for showing improvement in his skill set and exhibiting a good game sense in the fourth T20I between India and the West Indies.

Arshdeep registered figures of 3/38 in four overs as the Men in Blue restricted the Windies to 178/8 in Lauderhill, Florida, on Saturday, August 12. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill then strung together a 165-run opening partnership in just 15.3 overs to help Hardik Pandya and Co. register an emphatic nine-wicket win and draw level in the five-match series.

During a discussion on JioCinema, RP Singh was asked about his thoughts on Arshdeep's spell to which he responded:

"Arshdeep has a specialty. I feel while playing he has learned how to bowl based on the conditions. The options or weapons you have in your arsenal - he bowls a good yorker, he also bowls a good knuckle slower ball as well."

The former Indian pacer added:

"Bowling that ball is slightly tough because it won't fall at the right length unless you hit the pitch. Bowling the knuckleball at the right length is in itself a challenge. So his skill has gone up and his game-reading sense was also good."

Arshdeep has picked up 47 wickets in 30 T20Is at an excellent average of 18.40. However, he has proved slightly expensive, having conceded an average of 8.49 runs per over.

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"Arshdeep Singh set the tone for the match" - RP Singh

Arshdeep Singh had Kyle Mayers caught by Sanju Samson behind the wickets.

RP Singh praised Arshdeep Singh for giving India the initial breakthroughs in Saturday's game. He said:

"I feel Arshdeep Singh set the tone for the match by picking up two early wickets. When you dismiss the opening pair, the scale tilts slightly in your favor. He started with a slower ball (the first ball he bowled), we were discussing that he should have probably not done that. However, he bowls a good bouncer, it is slightly deceptive."

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that the Punjab left-arm seamer's strikes helped India gain early ascendancy. He elaborated:

"He dismissed Kyle Mayers, who was looking in good rhythm, with a bouncer. Then Kuldeep Yadav took a good catch (to dismiss Brandon King). So Arshdeep laid the foundation for the bowling unit. Numbers suggest that the scales tilt in your favor if you take three or more wickets in the powerplay and Arshdeep himself picked up two wickets."

Arshdeep had Kyle Mayers caught behind in the second over after the opener smoked 17 runs off the first six balls he faced. He then had Brandon King brilliantly caught by Kuldeep Yadav at short third man in the last over of the powerplay. He later dismissed Shimron Hetmyer to complete his three-wicket haul.