Axar Patel hailed Varun Chakravarthy, who picked his maiden five-wicket haul in the ODIs against New Zealand in the last match of the Group A in the ongoing Champions Trophy. Varun Chakravarthy picked up 5 for 42 in his spell.
“Credit goes to him. The T20 WC (2021) was not a good experience for him. But after that he has come back and his mental skill shows how ready he is,” Axar told reporters in the mixed zone.
“I think he is carrying forward his performances in T20s to ODIs,” he said.
Axar also explained why Varun Chakravarthy is a tough customer to face.
India’s Varun Chakaravarthy with teammates celebrates the wicket of New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between India and New Zealand, in Dubai, UAE. (PTI)
“It is very difficult to read from his hand. And the pace with which he bowls is very difficult. So, I think, if a batter misses (the line), there is a higher chance of getting out. He is fast in the air also,” Axar said.
Axar on his No 5 role
In the recent matches, the team management has promoted Axar Patel to No 5. The southpaw has not disappointed. In the England series, he scored a fine fifty in Nagpur then backed it up with an unbeaten 41 in Cuttack.
Against New Zealand, Axar walked in when India were reeling at 30 for 3. Axar dropped his anchor and put on a solid 98-run stand for the fourth wicket with Shreyas Iyer.
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India’s Axar Patel plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between India and New Zealand, in Dubai, UAE. (AP)
“When I get an opportunity, I try to bat based on the situation. But now, the approach has changed. Earlier, I used to come down and had to make runs quickly. Now, I know that there are more batsmen behind me, so I can play accordingly.
“I know that I have a lot of time. It depends on the requirement of the team as well and if I feel that I have to attack the spinner, I play accordingly like I had a partnership (a 98-run fourth wicket stand with Shreyas Iyer) in this match (vs NZ), and we could have a good total,” he said.