"Axar Patel is a bit unlucky in terms of not getting enough opportunities" - Abhinav Mukund lauds spinner's spell in 4th IND vs AUS T20I
Abhinav Mukund has lauded Axar Patel for making the most of his opportunities and bowling a match-winning spell in the fourth T20I between India and Australia.
The Men in Blue set the Aussies a 175-run target in Raipur on Friday, December 1. Axar then registered figures of 3/16 in four overs as the hosts won the game by 20 runs to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
While reviewing the match on Sports 18, Mukund was asked to pick the top performer, to which he responded:
"I think it's quite easy, to be honest. In a game where every single bowler was put under a little bit of pressure, one bowler who put pressure on the batters was Axar Patel and I think what he enjoyed the most was the fact that maybe Glenn Maxwell was missing."
The former India opener added:
"To me, Axar Patel is a bit unlucky, in the whole context of it, in terms of not getting enough opportunities but whenever he gets opportunities, he does well. He has again put his hat in the ring by saying - 'This is me, this is my skill set and this is what I do best.' Deservedly to me, he is the top performer today."
Axar dismissed Travis Head and Aaron Hardie in successive overs after Ravi Bishnoi gave India the initial breakthrough by getting rid of Josh Philippe. The left-arm spinner later dismissed Ben McDermott to put the visitors further behind the eight ball.
"Good to see him get the wicket of Travis Head" - Abhinav Mukund on Axar Patel
![Axar Patel (left) had Travis Head caught by Mukesh Kumar at short third man. [P/C: AP]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/12/17cb4-17015086576144-1920.jpg?w=500)
Abhinav Mukund was pleased with Axar Patel's dismissal of Travis Head. He elaborated:
"Bittersweet also for him because he bowled the penultimate over in the previous encounter and he got carted around. Good to see him get the wicket of Travis Head. He said so himself that he was trying to change things up when he was injured, maybe bowl a bit slowly, not give it in his arc."
The cricketer-turned-commentator praised the spin-bowling all-rounder for bouncing back after bowling an expensive penultimate over in India's loss in the third T20I. He said:
"This is a game where every single bowler gets carted around. For Axar Patel to just come back strong, he has had a phenomenal series - 1/25 in the first game, he got carted around a bit in the previous one but again coming back strongly, 3/16 in his four overs, just says a lot about his mental ability."
Axar conceded 22 runs in the 19th over in Guwahati when Australia needed 43 runs off the last two overs. The Men in Blue went on to lose the game as Glenn Maxwell carted Prasidh Krishna all around the park in the final over to keep the Aussies alive in the series at that stage.