Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus admitted his batters were undone by the mystery spin of Varun Chakravarthy, conceding it was a skill set rarely encountered in associate cricket.
Chasing a daunting 210 against India, Namibia stayed competitive through the powerplay. The turning point came in the seventh over when Chakravarthy was introduced into the attack and struck with a googly off his very first delivery. He went on to claim three wickets in the space of 12 balls, effectively sealing the contest.
“It’s mystery bowling. You face leg-spin and the odd googly, and players get used to that. But it’s only in a few countries where you see bowlers like Varun, Mujeeb and those types,” Erasmus said after the 93-run defeat.
“I don’t think there’s anyone in associate cricket who bowls like that. Honestly, that was the game-breaker. It’s a skill we haven’t really seen before.”
Before the match, Erasmus had spoken about the challenge of playing host nation India in front of a packed stadium. The electric atmosphere and relentless noise were conditions Namibia are not accustomed to.
Still, the visitors showed promise in phases. They executed well at the death to restrict India to 209 and counter-attacked effectively during the powerplay while chasing.
Erasmus felt the margin of defeat did not accurately reflect the contest.
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“Through periods of that spell, the guys hung in there, especially towards the end of their innings. Playing in big stadiums against top teams is something you need to get used to.
“The first step is not being overawed. Then you can express your skills better. I thought we managed that in patches, but a few expensive overs and that cluster of wickets in the chase hurt us badly.”
Looking ahead, Erasmus stressed the importance of composure and courage if Namibia are to progress to the next level.
“If you want to be a top-class cricketer, you need courage, but also calmness and presence of mind under pressure. For example, my shot — I was too far from the ball. I needed to get closer.
“When you’re playing in front of 40,000 fans against high-quality bowling, how do you access the same skills you show in associate cricket, often in front of smaller crowds? That’s the challenge,” the skipper said.
