"He is the Player of the Match but no one will talk about him tomorrow" - Aakash Chopra lauds Axar Patel's spell in 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final
Aakash Chopra has lauded Axar Patel for his match-winning performance in India's 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final clash against England. He noted that the spin-bowling all-rounder does get the credit he deserves.
India set England a 172-run target after being asked to bat first in Guyana on Thursday, June 27. Axar then registered figures of 3/23 in four overs as the Men in Blue bundled the defending champions out for 103 to register a 68-run win and book their spot in the final against South Africa in Barbados two days later.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that Axar's 'Player of the Match' performance will be quickly forgotten.
"Axar Patel was the Player of the Match. He is an incredible guy. I am crying and screaming from the Pakistan match that he is not getting the attention, importance and acknowledgment that he deserves. He is the Player of the Match but no one will talk about him tomorrow. However, Bapu's performance has been absolutely outstanding," he said (11:25).
The former India opener praised the left-arm spinner for dismissing Jos Buttler, the biggest threat in England's batting lineup, with his first delivery.
"In my opinion, 171 was too far away. You needed magical stuff to reach that total and only one batter was capable of that magic and his name is Jos Buttler. He started well and had hit in the first three overs but who came then? Bapu sehat ke liye tu toh haanikaarak hai," Chopra stated (7:20).
Chopra added that Axar got rid of Jonny Bairstow after Jasprit Bumrah castled Phil Salt.
"He got Buttler out off the first ball of his first over. I had even tweeted that Axar should be brought. He came and picked up a wicket and then the wickets kept falling. Bumrah hit Salt's stumps and then Jonny Bairstow came and went because he also couldn't play Axar Patel," he observed.
Buttler top-edged an attempted reverse sweep off Axar's bowling to Rishabh Pant behind the wickets. Bairstow was bowled while playing an extravagant drive against the wily spinner after Salt had been deceived by a Bumrah slower one.
"This Bapu is not those 'Ahimsa paramo dharma'" - Aakash Chopra on Axar Patel
Aakash Chopra noted that Axar Patel also had Moeen Ali stumped before Kuldeep Yadav started his wicket-taking spree.
"This Bapu is not those 'Ahimsa paramo dharma' (non-violence is the highest moral virtue). His photo will come on the note now. Moeen Ali ran down the pitch and got himself out. Sam Curran got out and took a review with him. Kuldeep Yadav got him out. Harry Brook batted for a little while. He was looking good but for how long could he have batted? He couldn't have done anything and he too got out," he said in the same video (8:10).
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Kuldeep, Axar, and Jasprit Bumrah's potent spells helped India register a comprehensive win.
"Liam Livingstone stood for some time and then he got run out. The ball hit Harry Brook's stumps when he was trying to play a reverse sweep. Kuldeep Yadav picked up three wickets and Axar Patel also took three wickets. Jasprit Bumrah took two and the Indian team won by 68 runs," Chopra observed.
Kuldeep returned figures of 3/19 in four overs. Bumrah (2/12 in 2.4 overs) was the other Indian bowler among the wickets, with Liam Livingstone and Adil Rashid getting run out.