Daniel Vettori, the former New Zealand captain said that it will be interesting to see how Axar Patel goes about his business and whether he’ll be successful outside India.
The left-arm spinner has had a dream start to his Test career. He bagged 27 wickets in 3 Tests in his debut series versus England besides taking a five-wicket haul on a slow Kanpur pitch against New Zealand and is all but certain to travel with the Indian team to South Africa.
Daniel Vettori: Axar Patel Deserves The Chance To Play Abroad And It Will Be Fascinating To See If His Form Translates To Different Conditions
Daniel Vettori felt that Axar Patel’s round-arm action and bowling style has suited very well with the Indian conditions, but Daniel Vettori will have his eyes on the Gujarat spinner should he get an opportunity outside the subcontinent.
“I’ll be fascinated to see if his form translates to different conditions. Obviously an exceptional bowler in India, but because of his consistency and the fact that he bowls round arm and with a little bit of underspin – it does work in India,” said Daniel Vettori.
“So, whether he can be successful in other parts of the world will be fascinating. But I think he deserves that chance,” Daniel Vettori said.
Axar Patel’s Skillsets Provide Good Balance To Any Team That He Plays For: Indian Skipper Virat Kohli
India captain Virat Kohli was also effusive in praise for Axar Patel. Following the conclusion of the New Zealand Test series, in which India won 1-0, Virat Kohli pointed out that Axar Patel has been performing well in the shorter formats even before his Test debut and lauded the all-rounder for adapting to different formats.
“Axar is obviously an all-round cricketer. His skill sets are something that provide good balance to any team that he plays for. Precisely why he’s performing so well in the T20 format for so long and in Tests as well when he’s given the opportunity. The good thing to see is that he’s adapting his game according to the needs of the format which I think is a great sign,” Virat Kohli said.
Axar Patel made his Test debut against England at home in February 2021, six years after playing his maiden limited-overs match for India, and starred so much so with the ball that he ended up picking 27 wickets from the 3 matches in the series. He took 4 five-wicket hauls as England lost the series 3-1.
England managed to win only the first Test match, which Axar Patel missed due to a knee injury. In his debut Test series, he finished behind Ravichandran Ashwin (32) in the leading wicket-takers list. In only 5 Tests, he has scored 179 runs averaging 29.83, and taken 36 scalps averaging a mere 11.86.
In his very first year in Tests, Axar Patel has made a name for himself. This is his fifth Test appearance, he has so far taken 36 wickets and has also scored 179 runs with the bat, coming in to bat in the lower order.
Axar Patel has certainly been able to earn himself an automatic spot in India’s XI during home Tests but is yet to play a Test abroad.
India will next tour to South Africa for 3 Tests and 3 ODIs. The Test series begins on December 26 in Centurion.