Axar Patel – The all-rounder finally gets an opportunity to showcase his talent
It looks like the year 2021 has exerted itself as a dawn of a new period in Indian cricket. India have beaten Australia in Australia. Youngsters like Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar have crafted an epoch-making win at the Gabba by chasing 300 plus on a Day 5 wicket. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane’s steeling enigma is the new praise-worthy wave.
For the first two Tests against England, the selection panel has picked up a robust squad including the 27-year-old bowling all-rounder Axar Patel. Being termed as a replacement in place of Ravindra Jadeja, Both Axar and Washington Sundar along with Kuldeep Yadav will contest for the second front-line spinner’s role.
The journey so far
The year 2013 played a significant role in steering Axar’s cricketing career. He won an IPL title with Mumbai Indians and also became one of the dependable performers for Gujarat in the 2013-14 Ranji season. By fetching his first five-wicket haul (6-55) in his second first-class match, he took 29 wickets and scored 369 runs at an average of 46.12.
Being named as the BCCI U-19 cricketer of the year for the 2012-13 season, the year became a breakthrough event. First, his stint with KXIP yielded him 17 wickets making him the ‘Emerging player of the year in 2014 IPL’. Second, with massive IPL recognition, there came a national call against Bangladesh for ODIs.
While the 2015 World Cup selection has been his highest point, Axar has been one of that handful of prospects who has been consistently jolting the doors of the national team. In fact, his dexterous slow-left arm orthodox spin has yielded him a regular pass for India A.
First-class record
While predominantly being known for his white-ball skills, he holds a tidy record in first-class cricket. With bowling being his primary skill, Axar has grabbed 134 wickets at an average of 27.38 wickets including six five-wicket hauls and a match-winning ten-wicket haul from 39 matches.
Also known for his functional batting skills, Axar has amassed around 1,665 runs from his bat. A sturdy average of over 35 which includes a hundred and thirteen fifties exhibits the kind of huskiness he can bring in the lower-middle order with his genuine stroke play. His infusion into the playing XI does look an exciting offer especially at a time when young guns of Indian cricket are creating fairy-tales.
