"Not on par with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin" - Salman Butt slams Axar Patel's bowling in Super 4 tie vs SL
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt believes that Team India's left-arm spinner Axar Patel isn't on the same level as Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Butt pointed out how Axar failed to trouble the batters on a spin-friendly track during India's Super Four clash against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 in Colombo on Tuesday. He reckoned that while the southpaw is a good option with the bat, there was still scope for improvement in his bowling.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Salman Butt explained:
"When you see Axar Patel's bowling, he is not on par with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. No doubt his batting is quite good, but if he didn't get any turn on this wicket, where will it spin? There was so much turn on offer that even Charith Asalanka picked up four wickets. However, Axar Patel didn't get any turn, which is a matter of concern."
Axar Patel replaced Shardul Thakur in India's playing XI for the match against Sri Lanka. He conceded 29 runs in five overs and failed to pick up a single wicket. Axar, however, chipped in with a valuable 26-run knock earlier in the game, helping the Men in Blue post a respectable 213-run total.
Salman Butt also highlighted how Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja troubled the Sri Lankan batters with their tidy bowling. He suggested that both spinners get a lot of rip, courtesy of their strong releases.
The cricketer-turned-expert mentioned that the Pakistani spinners, don't tend to give the ball any air and just rely on bowling quick. He added:
"Kuldeep Yadav gives the ball air. Both Kuldeep and Jadeja have very good releases, which is why there is a lot of rip. Our bowlers push the ball towards the batters instead of giving the ball air and revs. They bowl at a flatter trajectory. Yes, Jadeja also bowls flat, but he gets rip."
Kuldeep once again proved to be the pick of the Indian bowlers, bagging a four-wicket haul. Jadeja also impressed many, finishing with two wickets as Rohit Sharma and company beat Sri Lanka by 41 runs.
"The captaincy was spot on" - Salman Butt on Rohit Sharma's leadership vs Sri Lanka
Speaking in the same video, Salman Butt reserved high praise for Team India skipper Rohit Sharma for inspired field placements and bowling changes against Sri Lanka.
The 38-year-old stated that Sharma was not afraid to have an attacking approach throughout the game, elaborating:
"Rohit Sharma's captaincy was brilliant. He set wicket-taking field placements, which was very important. We saw how there were fielders in catching positions. There was a leg slip for spinners, and even on the boundary rope, the fielders were stationed accurately."
"The captaincy was spot on. He saved Kuldeep's over, and when the tailenders came in, he brought him back into the attack and he dismissed the last two batters. Sharma was very courageous and even had the mid-on and mid-off inside the circle. Pakistan, on the other hand, send everyone in the deep as soon as a spinner comes in to bowl," he added.
Rohit Sharma also was the top performer with the bat for India. He notched up his third successive half-century, scoring 53 runs off 48 balls. With their win over Sri Lanka, India became the first team to qualify for the Asia Cup 2023 final.