Bengaluru, Feb 14: Legspinner Piyush Chawla starred in India’s unexpected win against Australia in the warm-up match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday evening. His four-for and a brilliant catch to dismiss Shane Watson were crucial in India’s 38-run defeat of spin-deceived Australia.

Here are excerpts from Chawla’s post-match interaction with the media.

On whether he was surprised at the pitch’s assistance of the spinners

There was turn and bounce because when I was batting, there was turn when the off-spinners were bowling. I knew there was something for the spinners. We bowled well. We have quality spinners so we could exploit the conditions.

On the crucial catch he took to dismiss Shane Watson

Yeah obviously, the way Shane Watson was batting, you know they were batting at more than seven runs per over, and getting a wicket at that time [was key]. So obviously [it was] good for the team and good for me as well.

On being asked which of his four wickets could be attributed to bowling to a plan

Well the wicket of [Callum] Ferguson, the fourth one, because I got the gully [in position] and I was just mixing up the balls. And you know [I bowled] the wrong one and after that I got him out on the leg-side, [which] was very good [thinking] as a bowler.

On whether this performance would help him book a place in the playing XI

Well, it depends on the situation because we have a lot of good spinners. [But if the] wicket is slow and turning then obviously [there’s a] chance for me in the playing XI