Axar Patel: Have learned a lot from seniors Ash and Jaddu bhai
Team India’s left-arm spinner Axar Patel credited senior spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for his growth as a bowler, stating that he has learned a lot from the duo.
Ashwin and Jadeja claimed three wickets each on Day 1 of the first Test against England at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday, January 25. Axar also chipped in with two wickets, including the big one of Jonny Bairstow (37).
At the end of the opening day’s play, the left-arm spinner reflected on his performance and stated that, being the third spinner, he was trying to control the game from his end.
"I have learned a lot from seniors Ash and Jaddu bhai. I was trying to control the game from my end as they were bowling in partnership. They were taking wickets, so, I was not thinking about taking wickets," the 30-year-old was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
"I know that if you are playing three spinners then one of them will get a lesser number of overs. They were also telling me what was happening on the wicket and what I should do. It is a privilege to bowl with them," Axar added.
Bowling first after losing the toss, India restricted England to 246 in 64.3 overs, a performance they would be very satisfied with.
“That delivery really came off well”- Axar on the jaffa to dismiss Bairstow
After losing three wickets for 60 runs, England were making a good fightback courtesy of a fourth-wicket stand of 61 between Bairstow and Joe Root. The former was looking dangerous, but Axar got one to turn away from the batter, while bowling from wide of the crease, and knocked the top of off stump.
Expressing his delight at the wicket, the Indian spinner said:
"That delivery really came off well. We were talking if it turns from there then it would be great because the odd ball was turning. Bairstow took stance on the fourth wicket to avoid the lbw. So, I thought of bowling at the stumps because he did cut a few shots close to the stumps. That was the plan and the one that turned from there was good and you would have seen my celebration.”
England were 121/3 when Bairstow was dismissed. They slumped to 155/7, but skipper Ben Stokes (70 off 88) lifted the visitors past 245.
“It was very good to unsettle them early” - Axar on aggressive Jaiswal
After the Indian bowlers had done a good job, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal came out and went after the England bowling from the word go. He hammered 70* off 76 as the hosts reached 119/1 at stumps after 23 overs.
Praising the young Indian batter, Axar said that the team enjoyed his dazzling strokeplay.
"We enjoyed the way Yashasvi was batting and he took on the spinners from the very first over. It was very good to unsettle them early," he said.
Sharing his assessment of the Hyderabad wicket following the opening day’s play, Axar concluded:
"There is spin but the wicket is slow and we know that we did well to restrict them to 246. We can adjust to it as the ball is getting slow after pitching. Yeah, it is a bit challenging as well for the batters but if you bat well then you can make runs here.”
Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma (24) added 80 runs for the first wicket. At stumps, Shubman Gill (14*) was giving Jaiswal company, with the hosts trailing by 127 runs.