Aim was to stick to my strength and wait for the batters to go after me, says Axar after win against Afghanistan

On Thursday, Axar stamped his class by claiming a couple of wickets on a flat deck at the IS Bindra Punjab Cricket Association Stadium and breaking Afghanistan’s momentum.

MOHALI 11/01/2023. Axar Patel being greeted by captain Rohit Sharma after his second wicket during the T20 Cricket Match against Afghanistan at PCA Ground in Mohali on Thursday, January 11, 2024. Photo : R V Moorthy / The Hindu | Photo Credit: MOORTHY RV/The Hindu

A quadriceps strain had ruled Axar Patel out of the ODI World Cup last year, despite being named in India’s initial squad. Those were difficult times for the left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder, but he took things in his stride, worked hard on his bowling and eventually returned to the team.

On Thursday, he once again stamped his class by claiming a couple of wickets on a flat deck at the IS Bindra Punjab Cricket Association Stadium and breaking Afghanistan’s momentum. It was not easy, given the biting cold conditions, but Axar kept his cool and bowled in the right areas.

“There was no help from the pitch, the weather was also very harsh. My aim was to stick to my strength and wait for the batters to go after me,” he said. And that’s how, he tricked Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz before cleaning up the seasoned Rahmat Shah. “I bowled a tight line and got the wickets as the batters took a chance. As a bowler, you can’t do much on this pitch,” Axar said with a smile.

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Back in September last year, Axar suffered a quadriceps strain during the Asia Cup and failed to recover in time for the ODI World Cup. While Ravichandran Ashwin replaced him, bouncing back was not easy for the Nadiad-based spinner. But by his own admission, he added ‘five to 10 per cent’ to his bowling during rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.

“It was an unfortunate injury, but it was not the first time I was injured. My mindset during the rehab was to ensure how I could improve my game. At the NCA, I worked a lot on my bowling. I have worked consciously to add 5 to 10 per cent in my bowling,” he said.

Featuring in the T20I series against Australia shortly after the World Cup, Axar started varying his pace and used the crease. “As a left-arm spinner, you don’t have much variation, I can’t bowl googlies like a leg-spinner,” he said.

“I am not thinking about the economy anymore. My mindset is how can I attack more. I have got the confidence… more about taking wickets than bowling economically,” the 29-year-old added.

With a T20 World Cup lined up in June, there will be immense competition for the spin all-rounder slots, and Axar believes it is important to work on the process. Once the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan gets over on January 17, India won’t feature in any other white-ball series until the ICC event in June. Hence, a lot will depend on the performances in the Indian Premier League.

“There is competition, but it depends on how you take it. It is important to focus on the process. You can’t think about the T20 World Cup from now since there are five Tests against England, followed by the IPL. So, there’s some time left for the T20 World Cup,” he said.

With a long season ahead, workload often becomes the talking point. But Axar believes a lot depends on the mindset in terms of handling injuries. “Playing continuously has its challenges, but we do get breaks. Mindset is the key, and you cannot be too conscious, because then  aap aapne body ko on the line  nahin daalte ho, and that can make you even more injury prone,” he said.

Having played a key role in the opener, Axar would be hoping to keep the momentum going in the remainder of the series.