Axar Patel is first among equals when it comes to finding a replacement for an unavailable Ravindra Jadeja in white-ball cricket.
This left-handed all-rounder started off on the right foot in the three-match T20 opener here against Afghanistan, bowling four tight overs for two wickets.
In chilly conditions far from conducive for spinners, Axar was on target and proved instrumental in Afghanistan slipping from an assured 50 for no loss to 57 for three at the half-way stage.
“There was no help from the pitch, the weather was also very harsh. My aim was to stick to my strength and wait for the batters to go after me. I bowled a tight line and got the wickets as the batters took a chance,”said Axar in the post-match press conference reflecting on his bowling performance that cut short the innings of Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz and the experienced Rahmat Shah.
Returning to action after a quadriceps strain suffered in Asia Cup, Axar spoke about his fresh approach. “I am not thinking about the economy anymore. My mindset is to attack more. I focus more on taking wickets than bowling economically.”
The injury-induced lay-off also helped him work on his skill-sets. “My mindset during the rehab was to ensure how I could improve my game. At the NCA, I worked a lot on my bowling. I have worked consciously to add 5 to 10% to my bowling.”
When asked about how he looked at the prospects of selection to the team for the World Cup in June, Axar sounded pragmatic. “There is competition, but it depends on how you take it. It is important to focus on the process. You can’t think about the T20 World Cup from now since there are five Tests against England, followed by the IPL. So, there’s some time left for the T20 World Cup.”
