"Doesn't deserve to sit out" - Saba Karim wants India to persist with Axar Patel for 4th IND vs AUS Test
Former wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim believes that India should not drop all-rounder Axar Patel from the playing XI for the upcoming fourth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
He believes that while Axar hasn't made a significant impact with the ball, his contributions with the bat in the lower order have been very valuable.
Saba Karim mentioned that the 29-year-old hasn't bowled enough overs, as Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been the workhorses for India in the series.
"India should continue playing Axar Patel," Karim explained during a discussion on India News Sports. "India have a 2-1 lead in the series because Axar has batted really well. He hasn't had enough opportunities with the ball, as Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, the two prime spinners, have bowled most of the overs.
"He doesn't deserve to sit out. Since Ahmedabad is his home ground, he knows the dimensions of the ground and the conditions very well."
Axar has bowled just 39 overs so far in the series and has just one wicket to his name. However, he has been one of the top performers with the bat, aggregating 185 runs in four innings at an average of 92.50.
"Failed to provide enough support as the third spinner" - Rajkumar Sharma on Axar Patel's bowling
During the aforementioned discussion, Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma suggested that Axar Patel's bowling hasn't been up to the mark in the ongoing Test series.
He reckoned that skipper Rohit Sharma could consider replacing Axar with wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Rajkumar stated that Kuldeep would be a good choice if the pitch in Ahmedabad is better than what it was in Indore.
"Rohit Sharma will be tempted to play Kuldeep Yadav," he stated. "Axar Patel hasn't done much as a bowler. His job was to take wickets, but he failed to provide enough support as the third spinner. This is why I feel Kuldeep Yadav could a very good option. Axar can contribute with the bat, so the captain has to decide now if he wants a genuine spinner or an all-rounder."
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The fourth Test between the two nations will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad from Thursday, March 9. India lead the series 2-1 and have already retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
However, a win here is of utmost importance to them as they look to secure a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.