3 reasons why India's choice of Axar Patel over Kuldeep Yadav for 1st Test vs England is correct
India and England are battling it out in the first Test of a five-match series of England's tour of India that got underway on Thursday, January 25, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Winning the toss, England opted to bat first, post which the Indian captain Rohit Sharma revealed the team's combination. India have gone in with two seamers in Bumrah and Siraj, followed by the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel.
While Kuldeep Yadav was also in contention for the third spinner's slot, India opted to go with Axar, and here are three reasons why it is the right decision.
#3 Maintains consistency in selection
Axar Patel has been India's go-to third spinner in the home Test series, with him playing a crucial role for the team in the Border Gavaskar Trophy win last year. The spin-bowling all-rounder has taken his opportunities well, is in good form in other formats, and fits well into the playing XI. Picking him ahead of Kuldeep brings a level of consistency to the team selection.
While Kuldeep isn't a bad option considering the conditions, choosing him could bring some inconsistency in selection which undoes some of the good work the new set of selectors have done since taking charge.
#2 Being a finger-spinner, Axar provides more control
The wicket at Hyderabad was widely expected to be a rank-turner, with England's team selection, which included three front-line spinners, reflecting the same. On such venues, the extra turn that wrist spinners can usually extract from the pitch is negated because the finger spinners are also able to draw a similar level of turn off the wicket.
Batters usually go for it in such venues and take the attack to the bowlers, as even the ones with the most solid techniques can't do much against unplayable deliveries at a regular frequency.
It's here that Axar has an advantage over Kuldeep, because the accuracy and control he provides with his finger spin is much better than what Kuldeep can do. Wrist spinners tend to bowl a higher amount of loose deliveries, which will no doubt be put away.
#1 Axar adds immense heft to India's batting lineup
Axar Patel is one of India's most underrated batters, and in limited-overs cricket, he simply doesn't get enough opportunities to show how good he is. However, he has proved to be a tremendous asset with the bat in Test cricket, and the recent home series against Australia would be a great example.
While Axar didn't have the best of outings with the ball, he was arguably the best batter of the series, scoring 264 runs in five innings, and finishing with the highest batting average (88.00) and as the third-highest run-getter, despite batting at No. 8.
He's one of the best players of spin in this Indian side. With England playing two left-arm spinners and one leg-spinner, he should be able to take them on easier with the ball turning into him. The 30-year-old's batting chops is one of the main reasons why India picking Axar over Kuldeep is the right decision.