CHENNAI: WHEN Axar Patel was not named in India’s squad for the three T20Is in South Africa despite being added to the ODI side, it raised a few eyebrows. At that point, Axar had played as many as 13 T20Is in 2023, while his replacement Ravindra Jadeja, the vice-captain, had featured in none.
In the 13 games, and the 11 ODIs he played last year, Axar had also been used as a designated floater/spin-hitter with the bat. In fact, in the five-match T20I series against Australia just after the ODI World Cup, he had taken six wickets while operating at 6.20 runs per over. It seemed like India were finally making Axar their first choice spin-bowling all-rounder in the shortest format. Then came Jadeja for the South Africa series with two wickets in as many matches. Axar, in the ODI leg, finished with one wicket.
While Jadeja was the first-choice spin all-rounder until he got injured in the lead up to the 2022 T20 World Cup, since then Axar had moved up the ranks. However, with another T20 World Cup coming around, the role and place of the two left-arm spinners are among the talking points. And in what is India’s only international assignment before the global event, the selectors went back to Axar without many explanations. Although most of the frontline bowlers have been rested because of the upcoming Test series against England, it is still not clear whether we have seen and heard the last of who will be India’s left-arm spinner in the T20 World Cup.
Which is why, as much as the fuss has been about the batting line-up, the three-match series against Afghanistan and the upcoming Indian Premier League will be of utmost importance to Axar. And the 29-year-old could not have asked for a better start in the first T20I against Afghanistan on Thursday. He kicked off with a quiet over in the powerplay, came back to dismiss the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah in consecutive overs. His four overs had just two boundaries, one four and a six, both coming before Gurbaz was dismissed.
Axar finished with 2/23, helping India restrict Afghanistan to 158/5 in 20 overs. Now, this will come as a surprise if one had followed Axar’s career in recent years. Since 2020, only Tabraiz Shamsi, Mitchell Santner and Shakib Al Hasan have more T20I wickets than Axar among left-spinners from full-member nations. Axar has 38 wickets in as many games while operating at 7.52 despite not always being the team’s first-choice all-rounder.
In this period, Jadeja has played 20 T20Is, taking 18 wickets at 6.9 economy. One could argue that Jadeja is perhaps a bigger turner and a superior spinner in terms of skill and experience, and has struck at over 140 in T20Is the last couple of years. However, his numbers drop significantly whilst facing spinners. Here is where Axar has an edge. With the bat, Axar struck at 138.8 in 2022 and 157 in 2023 and against spinners, his strike rate goes up to 171.05.
At this point in time, there is no clarity as to how India’s spin attack will look in the T20 World Cup. They have way too many options to pick from — Axar, Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi. One thing, however, seems certain. There might be a place for just one left-arm orthodox spinner. Now, it could come down to the IPL, where Jadeja plays at a far more suitable home venue. And, all Axar can do is make the most of every chance he gets from now till the World Cup. Safe to say, he did that on Thursday.
Brief scores: Afghanistan 158/5 in 20 ovs (Nabi 42; Axar 2/23) lost to India 159/4 in 17.3 ovs (Dube 60 n.o; Mujeeb 2/21).