Parthiv Patel, the former India wicket-keeper praised Axar Patel for his heroics in the second ODI against West Indies yesterday (July 24). The all-rounder slammed a match-winning 64 off 35 deliveries to help India chase down 312 in the final over at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain.
India hit a snag with quick dismissals during their chase, losing their top-order with 79 runs on the board. A 99-run partnership between Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson rebuilt the innings, but India was still far from the target.
Parthiv Patel Reckons It Was Probably The Best He Has Ever Seen Axar Patel Bat
Coming into bat with still over 100 runs left to chase, Axar Patel took it upon himself to guide his team home. In the process, he also recorded his maiden ODI fifty, thereby earning the Player of the Match award.
Claiming it is the best he has seen the all-rounder bat, Parthiv Parthiv said : “We all have seen how good Samson is, I thought he was batting really well. When Axar came out to bat, the game was going towards the West Indies. I have seen him very very closely. To me, it was probably the best I have ever seen him bat.”
Prior to the second ODI, the left-handed all-rounder had the highest score of 38 in ODI cricket, which came six years ago against New Zealand at home. He has significantly improved his batting credentials through his cameos in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the last couple of years. He averaged 45.5 with the bat in IPL 2022 and boasted of a strike rate of 151.67 which was way above the rest IPL season’s figures.
Axar Patel turned out to be India’s unlikely hero with the bat as he scored an unbeaten 64 off just 35 balls to help India chase down a big 312-run target against West Indies in the second ODI in Port of Spain. The win ensured that the Shikhar Dhawan-led Indian cricket team takes an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Axar Patel’s innings included five sixes and three fours. Set a stiff target of 312, the visitors were tottering at 205 for five in 38.4 overs but Axar Patel rescued India with his six-hitting prowess, taking the visitors home with two balls to spare on Sunday. Needing six runs off the last three balls, Axar Patel clobbered Kyle Mayers straight over his head for a six.
Parthiv Patel Admits Sanju Samson And Shreyas Iyer’s Partnership Changed The Game As India Started To Lose The Plot Before The Duo’s Arrival
Shreyas Iyer continued to make a case for himself in the ODI format with his third consecutive fifty. He is on the lookout to cement a spot in the middle order, having recently become the second-fastest Indian to scale the 1000-run mark in ODIs. Sanju Samson, on the other hand, registered his maiden ODI half-century in only his third appearance. He came close to scoring a fifty on his debut in Sri Lanka last year but fell short by four runs.
Noting that the partnership between Iyer and Samson changed the course of the match, Parthiv Patel said: “Samson and Iyer’s partnership changed the game, India were beginning to lose the plot, but they played with a lot of responsibility and maturity. It is the reason why they are leading in the IPL as well. The run-out miss in the 46th over was also crucial.”
Shreyas Iyer (63) and Sanju Samson (54) struck fine half-centuries, but it was Axar Patel’s unbeaten 35-ball 64 that took India over the line. India, having claimed a 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series, will face West Indies in the final ODI at the same venue on July 27 (Wednesday).