Mohammed Siraj Recalled Last-Over Drama With Axar Patel: Indian players have managed to keep their nerves calm in high-pressure, match-defining moments of both the ODIs against West Indies.
In the first match, Mohammed Siraj defended 15 runs in the last over, which reduced to 5 runs on the last ball but the pacer delivered a pin-point yorker. In the second ODI, Siraj was on the non-striker’s end as Axar Patel walloped Kyle Mayers for a six down the ground when 6 runs were needed from the last 3 balls.
The last over of India’s chase of 312 had begun with India needing 8 runs with Axar, who had hit a 27-ball fifty on the strike. A dot ball was followed by a single for Axar Patel and now India needed 7 off 5 balls.
Mohammed Siraj says he thought of going for a six
Recalling that moment after the match, Siraj revealed that the way Axar was talking and the manner in which the left-hander was all pumped up, it rubbed on him for a moment and he too thought of hitting a six and completing the chase.
However, Siraj smilingly added, sensibility prevailed in him and he carefully played the ball for a single to bring back Axar on strike, and the southpaw finished the job.
“Axar ko dekh ke lag raha tha ki jaise woh baat kar raha tha, jaise woh pumped tha, alag hi feel ho raha tha. Mujhe bhi feel ho raha tha hi mai bhi maar dunga chakka. But sensible yehi tha ki mera single lena,” Siraj said in a video uploaded by the BCCI.
You can watch the video here:
Reactions from the dugout and change room as @akshar2026 sealed the ODI series in style
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Axar Patel, who had taken 1/40 in 9 overs with the ball earlier, was magnificent with the bat in the run chase – thumping 64 unbeaten runs in 35 balls, after half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson had kept India alive in their hunt for 312.
Upon receiving the Player of the Match award, Patel said, “I think this is a special one. It came at a crucial time and also helped the team to win the series. We have done the same in the IPL. We just needed to remain calm and keep the intensity up. I was playing an ODI after close to 5 years. I would want to continue performing like this for my team.”
With the series in the bank, India may look to make some changes – or maybe not. The likes of Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad could get a game in the third ODI, a dead rubber slated for Wednesday.
