Durban: Nursing a soft drink after dinner, Rudra Pratap Singh presented a relaxed look but in the hour before he set his eyes on the meal in the Indian team's dressing room, he was intensity personified and feasted on the South African batsmen to star in India's fantastic victory that eliminated the home team from the ICC World Twenty20 semifinal race.

"It is my first international event. I had played but two of three T20 games in India and I am delighted to be able to come up with the best figures for a four-over spell in T20 cricket. It is a great feeling.," he said of his figures of four for 13 in four overs that fetched him a record. He was talking exclusively to the tournament's official website.

South African fastmedium bowler Morne Morkel's four for 17 against New Zealand were the previous best figures for a four-over spell. Of course, New Zealand fast bowler Mark Gillespie's four for seven in 2.5 overs against Kenya is the best spell of bowling in T20 cricket so far. And it is no coincidence that the pitch here has produced the top five best figures in T20.

"I think I have taken a step forward in reaffirming that T20 is not just a batsman's game. It is a nice challenge and I am sure bowlers do not mind a little bit of juice in the wicket. They will be encouraged to come up with some good performances. Of course, it is tough for the bowlers since there are still 10 batsmen to dismiss in a T20 game.

"There is no doubt that a catch like the one Dinesh Karthik took to see Graeme Smith's back tend to lift not just the bowler but the team as a whole," RP Singh said. "It is not just that the catches but when fields run batsmen out and even stop singles, the bowler draws motivation. If a fielder makes a great stop, even a loose delivery will begin to seem like a good one and takes the pressure away."

Asked what thoughts he took to the pitch after his team managed 153 for five in 20 overs, RP Singh said he hadn't worried about the total. "I remembered what was discussed at the team meetings and the strategies that the captain and coaches made for us," he said. "Our score is not at the back of the mind when we set in to bat and we are focused on the tactics. If we cannot deliver 100 per cent, we try and achieve 80 per cent of that."

Despite bowling well on the tour of Ireland and England and claiming nine T20 wickets so far, RP Singh does not stick his neck out and say that he believes he has a permanent place in the Indian bowling attack. "I do not have too much to say on whether I have done that or not. My job is to bowl in the right areas and I believe I have done that for the team every time. I have learnt a lot from the time I made it to the Indian team in Harare just over two years ago. I have bowled to the seniors in the team and talked to them."

He said there always was pressure when anyone was playing for the national side. "I will focus on my strengths and will work to succeed in the remaining matches," he said as he trained his thoughts on the upcoming semifinal against Australia.

Durban: Nursing a soft drink after dinner, Rudra Pratap Singh presented a relaxed look but in the hour before he set his eyes on the meal in the Indian team's dressing room, he was intensity personified and feasted on the South African batsmen to star in India's fantastic victory that eliminated the home team from the ICC World Twenty20 semifinal race.

"It is my first international event. I had played but two of three T20 games in India and I am delighted to be able to come up with the best figures for a four-over spell in T20 cricket. It is a great feeling.," he said of his figures of four for 13 in four overs that fetched him a record. He was talking exclusively to the tournament's official website.

South African fastmedium bowler Morne Morkel's four for 17 against New Zealand were the previous best figures for a four-over spell. Of course, New Zealand fast bowler Mark Gillespie's four for seven in 2.5 overs against Kenya is the best spell of bowling in T20 cricket so far. And it is no coincidence that the pitch here has produced the top five best figures in T20.

"I think I have taken a step forward in reaffirming that T20 is not just a batsman's game. It is a nice challenge and I am sure bowlers do not mind a little bit of juice in the wicket. They will be encouraged to come up with some good performances. Of course, it is tough for the bowlers since there are still 10 batsmen to dismiss in a T20 game.

"There is no doubt that a catch like the one Dinesh Karthik took to see Graeme Smith's back tend to lift not just the bowler but the team as a whole," RP Singh said. "It is not just that the catches but when fields run batsmen out and even stop singles, the bowler draws motivation. If a fielder makes a great stop, even a loose delivery will begin to seem like a good one and takes the pressure away."

Asked what thoughts he took to the pitch after his team managed 153 for five in 20 overs, RP Singh said he hadn't worried about the total. "I remembered what was discussed at the team meetings and the strategies that the captain and coaches made for us," he said. "Our score is not at the back of the mind when we set in to bat and we are focused on the tactics. If we cannot deliver 100 per cent, we try and achieve 80 per cent of that."

Despite bowling well on the tour of Ireland and England and claiming nine T20 wickets so far, RP Singh does not stick his neck out and say that he believes he has a permanent place in the Indian bowling attack. "I do not have too much to say on whether I have done that or not. My job is to bowl in the right areas and I believe I have done that for the team every time. I have learnt a lot from the time I made it to the Indian team in Harare just over two years ago. I have bowled to the seniors in the team and talked to them."

He said there always was pressure when anyone was playing for the national side. "I will focus on my strengths and will work to succeed in the remaining matches," he said as he trained his thoughts on the upcoming semifinal against Australia.