Axar Patel’s all-around abilities and “cricketing intelligence”—which were demonstrated during two “unbelievable” fielding performances in the T20 World Cup semi-final victory over England—will make him one of India’s best players, according to former captain Sunil Gavaskar.
India triumphed by seven runs in Mumbai on Thursday to move on to their second consecutive T20 World Cup final as Axar eliminated the dangerous Harry Brook and Will Jacks in two separate but crucial stages of the match.
India vice-captain took an incredible catch in order to give India the crucial wicket of England captain Harry Brook. After Brook mishandled the slower ball from Bumrah, Axar raced back 24 meters from the covers before lunging full length to make an incredible grab.
In the fourteenth over, he dismissed Will Jacks with yet another brilliant moment in the field. As Axar at deep extra cover scurried to his left to receive the ball before relaying it to Shivam Dube as he crossed the ropes, the right-hander cut the full toss from Arshdeep Singh over the off-side.
“Axar’s catch to dismiss Brook was unbelievable. Brook can take the game away and you have to grab every chance to get his wicket. Axar did that. He ran 24m away from his fielding spot, kept his eyes on the ball, balanced himself, and took the catch. Unbelievable stuff,” PTI quoted Gavaskar as saying on Star Sports.
“He also played a key role in Will Jacks’ dismissal. The Bethell-Jacks partnership was taking the game away. But Axar ran to his left, grabbed the ball, and smartly passed it to Shivam Dube. That shows great cricketing intelligence. At the highest level, temperament separates the greats from the good. With his batting and bowling, Axar is going to be one of India’s great players,” the former batting great added.
According to Gavaskar, Axar is doing a good job of filling the vacuum left by Ravindra Jadeja’s retirement from T20 Internationals.
“We had Ravindra Jadeja before him and Axar is filling that void well. His bowling needs a little more polish. That will come with experience. His line, length, and speed are improving every year. The vice-captaincy means he is thinking about everyone’s game, not just his own. That is great for his growth,” said the former India captain.
It’s interesting to note that Gavaskar had said in 2015 that Axar is “not the next big thing of Indian cricket”.
“No, Axar Patel is not an alternative spinner India should be looking for. He just rolls the ball, he does not have the flight and his deliveries are very much predictable. He does not turn the ball unless the pitch is favourable. He is slightly slower than medium pace,” Gavaskar had told NDTV.
“Yes, (Ravichandran) Ashwin, Harbhajan (Singh), Amit Mishra and Karn Sharma are the spinners India can look for, but certainly not Axar Patel,” he had added.
Jasprit Bumrah, a “once in a century bowler” who suffocated England near the conclusion of the run chase, was also lavishly praised by Gavaskar.
At one point, centurion Jacob Bethell (105) required 45 runs from 18 balls to win for England. However, Bumrah’s precise yorkers in the 18th over allowed just six runs, leaving England with the unlikely task of scoring 39 runs in the last two overs.
“Jasprit Bumrah is not just a once in a generation bowler. He is a once in a century kind of a bowler. Because he plays all formats. Test matches, 50-over games, T20s. You give him the ball, he will deliver.
“Yes, there might be odd match where he goes for runs. That’s understandable. He is human after all. But more often than not, when it matters, Bumrah will bowl that crucial over. It might not always be a wicket-taking over. But he will give just seven or eight runs when others are going for 15 or 20.”
Regarding the possibility of India becoming the first side to win the T20 World Cup at home, Gavaskar stated, “It would be really special to witness India lifting the T20 World Cup trophy on home soil. Any time you play at home in a World Cup, it is special. The backing you get from the crowd, the applause when you do well, whether you save runs, take a catch, or score runs, it is an incredible feeling.”
