Team India all-rounder Axar Patel has impressed one and all with his batting performance in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. All thanks to his growth as a batter, Patel has kept his place ahead of Kuldeep Yadav in the side.
Axar Patel’s combination with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja has been exemplary. Patel batted alongside Ashwin (37), scoring a game-changing 74 in the second Test against Australia on Saturday, which was followed after his crucial knock of 84 runs in Nagpur.
Axar Patel Is The Next Big Thing For India
Nathan Lyon, rightly said in a press conference, “They are not lower order – Axar, Ash could easily bat in top 6 anywhere in the world, they are not lower order, India have a long top order.”
Axar’s shot-making has earned him praise from all corners as he was brilliant in the 114-run stand for the ninth wicket, which helped India reach 262 runs. Even Rahul Dravid hailed his contribution in the Test game for India. He said:
“This Test match moved up and down, but [Sunday] morning it moved really quickly for us. I think it was the partnership between Axar and Ashwin that changed things. We wanted to chase something close to 200-225 and that partnership enabled us to get back, or we’d have been trailing,”
Axar also talked about his own change in approach in the press-conference. He said: “I am a spinner too, so I feel I know how it is when someone has trouble facing me. Like batters do against me, I try to defend and make the spinner try different things. In situations like that, the bowler in my head, makes me bat differently. When I was with Delhi Capitals, I used to speak to Ricky Ponting about ways to improve.”
Axar added, “I used to leave the job half done when I batted, score 30-40 runs but not finish the game. It has got to do with the mindset, how you are thinking when faced with a particular task. It happens with all-rounders, that you take some wickets and think the job is done and eventually, become casual while batting. So now, when I am batting well, I back myself to carry on and finish the match.”
Even legendary player and former head coach Ravi Shastri has also spoken on air about how Patel has been working on his batting skills and a lot of it is about finding the belief in himself.
Meanwhile, talking about his batting performance, Patel’s knock of 74 runs off 115 balls was laced with 9 fours and 3 stunning sixes, which came at the strike rate of 64.35.
During his knock, he made everyone jump off their seats as he smashed a 4 and 6 off Kuhnemann’s bowling. The video of the same was shared by the official Twitter account of the BCCI. Have a look:
🔥 @akshar2026 on the charge.
Hits a 4 and 6 off Kuhnemann's bowling.#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/xe0Q6Zx6H2
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 18, 2023
