Test Call-up Came As A Pleasant Surprise To Me: Axar Patel

Jan 9, 2019 at 3:57 PM

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Test Call-up Came As A Pleasant Surprise To Me: Axar Patel

Axar Patel was playing the final of the triangular series between India A, South Africa A and Afghanistan A in South Africa when he got the news of him being selected in the India team for the third Test against Sri Lanka after ICC banned Ravindra Jadeja for one Test.

(Read Here: Mohammad Hafeez reported for suspected action)

Axar Patel | Indian cricket team |
Axar Patel during a practice session.

The left-handed all-rounder just rushed to Sri Lanka to be part of the team as he was making his comeback to the Indian team after more than seventh months. It was in December 2016 when Axar was called in the Indian team ahead of Chennai Test against England, where he injured his thumb as a substitute fielder and then, he got dropped from the team due to the injury,

“It came as a pleasant surprise when our coach Rahul Dravid told me that I had a more important assignment ahead. I have always enjoyed working with him,” Axar told Sportstarlive.

Bharat Arun, Impressed, Bowling, Team India, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, India Vs New Zealand
Ashwin-Jadeja were chief architects with the ball for India. Photo Credit: AFP.

His comeback also meant that he sealed his spot as a left-arm spinner. Now selectors are looking forward to restricting R Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja to Test format only and Axar has a chance to fix his place in the side on a permanent basis.

Already selectors have shown that he is their choice of the left-arm spinner as despite being injured a day ahead of the start of Australia ODI series, team management took Axar everywhere they went, despite the presence of Jadeja in the team – who came in as his replacement.

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Axar has impressed in international games he has played since his comeback, and the left-spinner was happy the way he bowled in the fifth ODI against Australia,

“I was quite happy with the way I bowled in that match. I had got hit for a few runs in the previous match, so it really felt nice to come back into form. And I particularly enjoyed the wicket of Travis Head; he was trying to hit me and was bowled,” he added.

Before the Australian series, he had a good outing in Sri Lanka as well, and Axar was happy the way he made his comeback,

“My best ODI figures – three for 34 — came in the first match of the series at Dambulla and that was an important match for me. I was coming back to the side some eight months after my injury.”

Axar Patel | Indian cricket team |
Axar Patel celebrates a wicket.

Axar now has a real chance of making it to the Test squad again as this selection committee does not shy away from taking a tough decision and for Axar, a Test debut is a long due as he first made it to the Test team in 2014 but is yet to make his debut.

(Read Here: Every team lacks an AB de Villiers: Mashrafe Mortaza)

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