Axar’s mindset, especially on Australian wickets which offer little conventional turn, is one of containment and relentless accuracy. (Getty Images) Left-arm spinner Axar Patel has bowled with poise and tactical finesse throughout the T20I series against Australia, reinforcing his value as a pivotal figure in India’s limited-overs framework.In the third T20I in Hobart, Axar’s control over pace and angles strangled Australia’s middle-order, laying the platform for India’s win. A few nights later at the Gold Coast, he once again made crucial inroads, finishing with 2/20 and removing Matthew Short and Josh Inglis, a double strike that halted Australia’s momentum in their chase of 167.
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Axar’s mindset, especially on Australian wickets which offer little conventional turn, is one of containment and relentless accuracy. “As a spinner, I feel it’s important to contain the batsman on these wickets. I’m bowling wicket to wicket. There’s not much spin but I’m getting a little bit of bounce. Then, on occasions, because of the dew, the ball skids a lot,” Axar said.This mentality of prioritizing dot balls and hitting a consistent line is what makes him a difficult bowler to attack. His effectiveness stems from his ability to bowl flat and fast, minimizing the chances for the batter to charge or find big boundaries.In the Gold Coast victory, his two wickets were products of this pressure: trapping Short in front of the stumps with a low-skidding delivery and then castling Inglis, who attempted to counter the building pressure by stepping out.Axar is highly adept at gauging the batter and brings in subtle yet effective variations. He doesn’t rely on massive flight or spin. Instead, his changes are in pace and length, delivered with a quick arm action. “I just go out there and think what my team needs. Accordingly, I do that. My plan is also to bowl keeping in mind what is the strength of the batsman I am bowling to,” he said.“If the batters are going to hit me down the line, then I can bowl in the middle-stump. It’s all about keeping the good length… the 5-6m length. And then if things are slipping from me, I’ll just bowl an odd full one,” he said.A critical aspect of his strategy is to leverage the size of the boundary. In the T20 format, the risk-reward ratio is everything, and Axar forces batters to hit to the longest parts of the ground. “I’ve learnt from past mistakes and now try to use the size of the boundary to my advantage,” he said.
