Muttiah Muralidaran and Ravi Bishnoi. (Photo Source: DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP, INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images)
India completed a 4-1 victory over Australia in the five-match T20I series as they beat them by six runs in the final game of the series on Sunday, December 03 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. After being put in to bat first, India posted a decent total of 160/8 in their allotted 20 overs. In reply, Australia were restricted to 154/8 in their allotted 20 overs.
One of the major stars of the series for India was wrist spinner Ravi Bishnoi who finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series with nine scalps to his name from five matches. Bishnoi once again shone in the fifth T20I with figures of 2/29 in four overs. Following his stellar performance in the series, Bishnoi got praise from legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muthiah Muralidaran who lauded him for his distinct ability of bowling quicker than others.
“India have always had a good, uh, set of spin in every generation. You see from Anil (Kumble) to (Ravi) Ashwin to now the young guys who have come. Bishnoi is different from any other leg spinner than any other ones. He bowls quicker and he makes slides the ball a lot and Axar also is very accurate, not a big spinner of the ball and Washi also is similar because he doesn’t turn much and is very accurate and quite quicker,” Muralitharan said on JioCinema.
Ravi Bishnoi has 34 scalps in his T20I career
The 23-year-old made his debut vs West Indies in February 2022 at Eden Gardens and has scalped 34 wickets from 21 matches so far at an average of 17.38 and an economy of 7.14. The Rajasthan-born spinner was in contention to be picked in the T20 World Cup 2022 squad. However, the selectors went ahead with the veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as another wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was already in the squad.
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With Chahal not in the squad for the next T20I series vs South Africa as well, Bishnoi has a great chance to seal his spot in next year’s T20 World Cup by continuing his remarkable form.