AHMEDABAD: Within the remaining of the T20 World Cup in West Indies in June final yr, many questioned the knowledge of selling left-handed allrounder Axar Patel to the No. 5 slot forward of the hard-hitting Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube. Axar, because it turned out, delivered with a vital 31-ball 47, together with a elegant straight six off pacer Kagiso Rabada.
Eight months down the road, with one other ICC occasion on the horizon, India appear to be favouring the identical template, taking part in Axar at No. 5 in a line-up not comprising Rishabh Pant. Pant, in actual fact, continues to take a seat out, with KL Rahul doing wicket preserving duties.
On this collection, with openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill complementing one another properly, veteran Virat Kohli at No. three and the in-form Shreyas Iyer at No. 4, the staff has the pliability to play Axar as a floater.
With 93 runs in his first two matches, that too as the only left-handed choice within the center order, Axar has justified the transfer.
Former Gujarat Ranji coach Hitesh Majmudar, below whom the 31-year-old Axar made his debut in home circuit, instructed TOI, “Axar’s batting credentials aren’t talked about sufficient. He performed an important position in Gujarat profitable the Vijay Hazare trophy in 2015-16 and the Syed Mushtaq Ali in 2014-15. He has the flexibility to hit the ball to all components of the bottom, which makes his batting an important facet of his recreation. He confirmed that together with his innings in Barbados, which allowed Virat to play his recreation and Dube to speed up as traditional.
“At any time when Axar has been given the chance to bat up the order, he has delivered. He performs in line with the scenario. He’s refining his recreation to go well with the wants of the staff. He works laborious on his batting and is among the many greatest allrounders India presently have. Whereas Ravindra Jadeja is extra of a bowling allrounder, Axar is a correct batting allrounder,” stated Majmudar, who performed home cricket for Gujarat.
Other than his well-known model of left-arm spin – completely different to Jadeja’s type – Axar is generally called a protected fielder too, including to his utility within the staff.
