India’s left-arm spinner Axar Patel has made his debut in the longer format earlier this year. He had last played for India six years ago and he starred with the ball where he claimed 27 wickets from the 3 matches in the series. He picked up 4 five-wicket hauls as England lost the series 3-1 at home. However, England managed to win only the first Test against India where Axar Patel didn’t feature.

However, Ravindra Jadeja, India’s first-choice all-rounder across formats, was out of the home series due to an injury which he sustained during the Australia tour and his absence opened the door for Axar Patel, who has admitted that Jadeja’s on-field brilliance had made the selection “very difficult” for the players. Meanwhile, veteran Ravichandran Ashwin has already there in the squad.

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“I don’t feel I was lacking anything. Unfortunately, I was injured and lost my place in the ODIs. In Tests, [Ravindra] Jadeja and [Ravichandran] Ashwin were doing well. The way Jadeja was performing, it was very hard for any other left-arm spin all-rounder to find a place. The wrist spinners Kuldeep (Yadav) and (Yuzvendra) Chahal were doing well. It was due to the team combination that I was out. When I got a chance, I just tried to prove myself,” Axar told The Indian Express.

While making his debut in the second Test in Chennai, Axar Patel became the 9th Indian player to take a five-wicket haul on his Test debut and only the second left-arm spinner after Dilip Doshi to do so. However, with the wicket of Dom Bess, on the third day of the fourth Test, he claimed his 27th Test wickets and equalled the record of most Test wickets on debut as well.

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“I have a great tuning with him, we are part of the same team in the IPL. He is one of my closest friends. He maintains that lively atmosphere in the team. He will crack jokes, even from behind the wicket. Sometimes in a five-day game if there is a partnership, it’s very tough to kill that time. It’s his role that if he feels that the atmosphere is getting dull, he will crack some jokes, he will pass on comments. It suits him,” Axar Patel added.