Axar Patel has had an interesting run in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. So far, Axar has featured in all three Tests for Team India, versus Australia, on home soil. While he has only managed a solitary wicket in five innings, bowling 39 overs, he has led the charge with the bat — coming with vital contributions down the order in the opening two games — and is the second-highest run-getter of the 2022/23 BGT.
Axar is only behind skipper Rohit Sharma, who scored a majestic 120 in the series opener in Nagpur, with 185 runs in four outings, at 92.50, including two fifties with a best of 84. He remained not-out in both the innings in the Indore Test, where India’s main batters fell flat versus the Aussie spinners. Nonetheless, there have been murmurs with a few surprisingly calling for his omission to make way for Kuldeep Yadav in the fourth and final Test, in Ahmedabad.
Former Indian stumper and BCCI selector Saba Karim has backed Axar and feels his batting contributions have been one of the main reason for India having an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
“India should continue playing Axar Patel,” Karim said during a discussion on India News Sports. “India have a 2-1 lead in the series because Axar has batted really well. He hasn’t had enough opportunities with the ball, as Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, the two prime spinners, have bowled most of the overs.”
“He doesn’t deserve to sit out. Since Ahmedabad is his home ground, he knows the dimensions of the ground and the conditions very well,” added Karim.
Axar will be gearing up to play on his home ground as India host Australia in the series decider, on Thursday (March 09) at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad. On debut, the left-arm spinner had taken a memorable 11-fer at the same venue in a day-night Test versus England, in 2021. He will be eager to replicate the same feat and lead India to a series win, and WTC final spot.
India need a win in the series finale to emerge on top by a 3-1 margin and also confirm their place in the WTC final. Australia already qualified with their nine-wicket win in the third Test in Indore.
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