IND vs ZIM 2022: "He was slightly nervous" - Mohammad Kaif on Deepak Chahar's spell in 1st ODI

Mohammad Kaif feels Deepak Chahar was slightly nervous at the start of his spell in the first ODI against Zimbabwe. He lauded the swing bowler for making an excellent comeback after a long injury layoff.

Chahar registered figures of 3/27 in seven overs as Team India bowled out the hosts for 189 runs at the Harare Sports Club in Harare on Thursday, August 18. Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill then stitched together a 192-run unbroken partnership for the opening wicket to help the visitors register an emphatic 10-wicket win.

During a discussion on Sony Sports, Kaif was asked about Chahar's comeback to the Indian side. He replied:

"He was slightly nervous. The first ball of his spell was a full toss. The first two overs were not that great, he got a wicket in the seventh over, which means he got his first wicket in his fourth over."

Kaif added that the Agra-born seamer expectedly took time to find the right line and length. The former Indian batter reasoned:

"It took him two-three overs, he bowled a yorker, a full toss and a wide as well. So he was nervous at the start. He was playing after almost six months, he last played in February against the West Indies, it takes time to get the rhythm."

Deepak Chahar's last competitive game was a T20I against the West Indies in February. The 30-year-old admitted in the post-match presentation that he was struggling to find the required grip with his spikes on the hard surface.

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"He took the first wicket with the short ball" - Mohammad Kaif on Deepak Chahar using his experience

Deepak Chahar predominantly relies on swing to deceive the batters

Kaif praised Chahar for resorting to the short ball when his swinging deliveries did not yield the desired results. He observed:

"He is coming back after a long injury break and made a good comeback. We saw excellent swing bowling but when they didn't get out against swing, he took the first wicket with the short ball. After that, he pitched the ball up."

Kaif pointed out that Zimbabwe opener Innocent Kaia was taken by surprise by the short ball bowled by Chahar. The cricketer-turned-commentator elaborated:

"When you have played for a while, your experience helps, that you can bowl a short ball as well. The batter did not expect a short ball at all. At times when you are bowling at a speed of 125-126 kph, the batter is not ready for a short ball."

Kaif concluded by observing that there was no looking back for Deepak Chahar once he picked up his first wicket. The swing bowler got rid of Tadiwanashe Marumani and Wesley Madhevere in his next two overs to give Team India the early ascendancy in the encounter.

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