Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has hailed spinner Axar Patel after he picked six wickets on day one of the third Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. Patel returned with figures of 6 for 38 as he and Ravichandran Ashwin tore through England’s line-up to bowl them out for 112.
The legendary ex-captain said that Patel bowled the same line and length as he was aware of the ball turning and he continued to bowl to his strength.
“He recognised the fact that the odd ball is turning which is creating a doubt in the batsman’s mind. So, he just kept bowling the same line and same length. So, that’s the best part of his bowling. He knows that this is his strength and he bowls to his strength,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.
“Sometimes, bowlers try to change the way they have bowled in first-class cricket which has got them to the Test level. They try and adapt the thing that how they need to bowl at the Test level. And they eventually lose what has brought to the Test team. Axar hasn’t tried to do that,” he further said.
The 27-year-old spinner also took his second five-wicket haul in just his second Test match for India. He is only the third Indian bowler to take a five-wicket haul in his first two matches.
Gavaskar also added that with experience, Patel will develop more variety in his bowling, but for now, his strength is his accuracy.
“With experience, with more Test matches that he plays, he will obviously add a little more variety. Right now, at his second Test, his strength is his accuracy and that is what he needs to keep doing,” he added.
After England suffered a batting collapse and were bundled out for 112 runs, India were 99/3 at stumps on day one, with Rohit Sharma (57) and Ajinkya Rahane (1) at the crease.
