Axar Patel reflected on the memorable Test debut he made earlier this year against England. He was instrumental in Team India’s Test series win which booked them a berth in the World Test Championship Final against New Zealand. Axar filled in Ravindra Jadeja’s shoes quite well as he picked up 27 wickets in three Tests that he played and made English batsmen dance on his tunes.
He feels England batsmen weren’t reading his deliveries off his hands and they didn’t have any response to spin except for playing sweep and reverse-sweep.
“If they are in doubt whether it’s spinning or not, they just play sweeps and reverse-sweeps. If one bowls stump-to-stump, then it gets tough for them but if the ball is pitched outside off-stump or leg-stump they go for the sweep. They don’t read the ball from my hand, instead, they go by where it’s pitched,” said Patel in an interview with the Indian Express newspaper.
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Patel believes it was Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja’s brilliance that didn’t let him in India’s Test side despite him doing all the right things.
“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,” he added.
He revealed it was not frustrating for him to not get a chance in the national side as he knew he was in Team India’s scheme of things.
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“I don’t get easily frustrated. I was part of India A side and was in the scheme of things. It was about grabbing my chances. There were days when I did get frustrated. I was doing well but was not finding a place. But there are many players who are performing in domestic cricket but can’t get a break because players in the Indian team are performing well. It is important to wait for your time and when a chance comes, just grab it,” he added.
Talking about his bowling being different from other spinners, he quoted “I don’t think much, I have played in all conditions. It depends on how consistent I’m. My bowling is different from others, I bowl with pace and bowl quicker ones. I can add that ball which can spin and I’m practising it. Whenever I meet any senior player, be it Anilbhai [Kumble] or Ashwin, I ask them what more I can do. I take inputs and try to improve my bowling.”
The 27-year-old is named in India’s side that will travel to the UK to play in the World Test Championship Final against New Zealand in Southampton. The match will be played from June 18. Later on, India and England will lock horns against each other in a five-match Test series, scheduled to start in August.
