Arshdeep Singh’s statement spells against South Africa show need to give pacer consistent ODI outings

By his own admission, Arshdeep Singh’s favourite pastime is to watch YouTube compilations of Wasim Akram and Zaheer Khan to learn about the nuances of yorker and reverse swing.

Arshdeep has put those learnings to use quite frequently in T20Is, and it’s not for nothing that he became the first Indian bowler to take more than 100 wickets in that format.

But his spells against South Africa in the recent Ranchi and Raipur ODIs have underlined the need to give the left-arm pacer a consistent run in the 50-over version, something he has been deprived thus far.

In isolation, his figures of 2 for 64 and 2 for 54 in those matches look modest. But they offer a different picture when placed alongside Proteas’ totals of 332 and 362 for six.

In both the games, Arshdeep had to bowl during SA’s chase under lights with a heavy dew setting in wintry conditions. But he never let the batters dominate him in either of the matches, registering the best economy among the pacers — 6.4 at Ranchi and 5.4 at Raipur.

At Raipur, Harshit Rana gave away seven runs an over and Prasidh Krishna was carted around for 10.20.

It may be argued that Arshdeep largely bowled when the ball was relatively drier in the first Power Play and when the ball was changed after the 44th over in the second ODI.

But even then to contain or dismiss batters like Quinton de Kock and Marco Jansen on a firm pitch, a bowler needs optimum tactical awareness and the ability to bowl to the set field.

“That is one area where he has improved a lot in recent times. He knows the conditions well, he then adjusts the lengths well and he has now learned the importance of mixing up his deliveries to avoid being predictable.

“It is very important in white ball cricket in which batsmen keep looking for runs. He has really matured now as a bowler and is mentally tough,” tells Jaswant Rai, his childhood coach.

Rai’s words ring true if one glances back at Arshdeep’s third spell in the first ODI which India won by 17 runs.

The 26-year-old returned to bowl in the last power play, conceding just 16 runs in that three-over spell, and also dismissed Nandre Burger to make a critical difference in a close match.

In fact, the 47th over, in which he ousted Burger, was a wicket maiden, as he used the left-hander’s angles and a well-concealed short-pitched balls to perfection.

No dew in Vizag

Arshdeep will be eager to bowl in the series-deciding third ODI here on Sunday because the high humidity in this coastal city — often as high as 70 per cent in the night — might cut down the effect of dew in the eventuality of India bowing second.

It will certainly make his and colleagues’ job that much easier here, but his overall statistics in the last two years beginning from 2023 December also testify to his improvement and consistency.

Arshdeep has grabbed 16 wickets in 10 matches in this period and his combined economy is five, only behind left-arm spinner Axar Patel’s 4.43.

Despite all that, Arshdeep, who made his ODI debut in November 2022, has played only 13 matches, whereas Harshit Rana, who debuted in February 2025, has already appeared in 10 ODIs.

Prasidh Krishna, whose economy in the last five ODI stands at 9.33, 9, 7.42, 6.54 and 10.20, has played 20 ODIs having cut his teeth in March 2021.

With the ICC World Cup 2027 looming large on the horizon, India need capable back-up to lead pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep has shown that he can be the third pacer if the team combination demands so.

So, it’s time to set a few of those numbers right.