We feel there is nothing to lose here – Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep Singh has made quite a contribution to the Indian squad as they face off against the touring Afghanistan side in the ongoing T20I series. India have already clinched the series, securing an unassailable lead of 2-0 and they will be hopeful of inflicting a whitewash upon their counterparts.

The Indian bowling unit has seen Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel, with the former spearheading the Indian bowling unit emphatically. He was in fine touch against South Africa and that too in the latter’s backyard, clinching ten wickets in the ODI series to finish as one of the leading wicket-takers of the series.

Ahead of India’s final T20I against Afghanistan in Bengaluru, Arshdeep talked at length about the Indian team’s mindset.

Arshdeep said, “Mindset as a team doesn't work on what the series scoreline and what happened in the last matches. The main motive is to get used to the ground, and adapt quickly. We can look at improving and developing match skills.”

He further added, “The last 12 months have been a mixed bag (of experience). There were a few good performances and I got to learn something new. There were a few ups and downs as well, making my performances neutral.”

Talking about the overall change in his bowling flair, Arshdeep said, “Specifically, I recently started (bowling) with the new ball, especially on slow wickets. In the last match, I tried a few variations, especially against left-handers, and it worked and it gave me some confidence. Otherwise, I am trying to sharpen my skills.”

He continued, “Players' roles are defined. As a bowler, you know, you have to bowl at the start and middle overs. When there is clarity, you come up with good performances.”

Arshdeep concluded by saying, “We feel there is nothing to lose here. Batsmen are under pressure because of the feeling that they have to score more boundaries and that is where as a bowler you are in the game. You can get more wickets."