'We'll be putting our thinking caps on' - Stead on dealing with Varun CV

The legend has it that when Jeff Thomson would begin his run-up, fans and opponents alike would chant 'Thommo! Thommo'. It would be in awe and fear of the thunderbolts that Thomson, arguably the fastest bowler in the history of the game, would unleash. That was the degree of reverence the Aussie legend commanded on the field.

The same level of aura and excitement could be surrounding Varun Chakaravarthy, particularly among the New Zealanders. Despite not being a fast bowler like Thomson, Chakaravarthy has carved a fearsome reputation for himself here in the Champions Trophy. With his mystery deliveries baffling and mystifying the batters, fans may well be chanting 'Varun! Varun!'.

That should be quite a feat in itself since Chakaravarthy has only played three ODIs and 21 international matches in all in a not-so-long India career so far. But he seems to be the talking point ahead of the Champions Trophy final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DIC) between India and New Zealand.

"So, look, we certainly expect him to play after getting 5 for 42 against us in the last game. And yeah, we'll be planning our, I guess, intentions around that as well," Gary Stead, the New Zealand coach, said. It's likely that the nuances of Chakaravarthy's deliveries - those that turn either way and the ones that hold their line - are being closely analysed in the New Zealand camp.

Chakaravarthy was a late inclusion in the Indian XI, for the third league game against New Zealand after both had already sealed semifinal qualification. He left an instant impact with his wrong'uns, carrom balls, and top-spinners. His five-fer turned that match on its head, allowing India to defend a modest total of 249.

"There's no doubt he's a class bowler. He obviously showed his skills against us last time and he's a big, big threat in the game. So, we'll be putting our thinking caps on how we nullify that and how we can still score runs against him," Stead said. "I think when you have a wrist spinner like that, then you're looking for cues as a batsman. And I think it's always a little bit easier when you're in the daylight to see those things."

The coach was clearly hinting that New Zealand could be thinking of batting first, should there be an option. Stead further dwelt on the Chakaravarthy factor and on who among his batters could take on him in the final. "I think the pitch that we played on in the first game was quite different to the way that the semifinal played against Australia. So, again, it'll be something we have to read on the day and adapt to what's going on within the match."

"But, yeah, all our batsmen will have their individual plans around how they want to combat them, and then it comes down to, I think, good communications in the middle and sometimes a little bit of bravery to take those options on. So, we're certainly up for that. We're up for that challenge of what India will bring, and we know that they've got four very capable spinners."

In the semifinal against Australia in Dubai on Tuesday (March 4), Chakaravarthy finished with figures of 2 for 49. One of Chakaravarthy's victims in the match was the dangerous Travis Head, whom he removed in his first over, when the batter typically tried to take him on. Ahead of the final, Chakaravarthy has given the New Zealanders plenty to ponder.

It is a tribute to the confidence of the Indian selectors and conviction of captain Rohit Sharma, who opted for an extra spinner over a specialist batter (Yashasvi Jaiswal). With his exploits, Chakaravarthy is justifying that belief.