|| India Correspondent ||
Team India had a great start on Day 1 of the third Test against England at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. They bowled the visitors out for 112 runs and the credit went to the spinner Axar Patel who claimed a six-wicket haul. The left-arm off-spinner finished with the figures of 6 for 38 and helped India restrict within a below-par.
Notably, Axar became the first bowler to pick up a fifer at the newly-built stadium in Ahmedabad and it's his second five-for in his second Test as well. However, his bowling impressed everyone, including former Indian captain and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar who said that Axar Patel is well aware of his strength which helped him dismantle the England batting order.
"He [Axar] recognised the fact that the odd ball is turning which is creating a doubt in the batsman’s mind. So, he just kept bowling the same line and same length. So, that’s the best part of his bowling. He knows that this is his strength and he bowls to his strength," Gavaskar told Star Sports.
"Sometimes bowlers try to change the way they have bowled in first-class cricket which has got them to the Test level. They try and adapt the thing that how they need to bowl at the Test level. And they eventually lose what has brought to the Test team. Axar hasn’t tried to do that," he further added.
Meanwhile, Sunil Gavaskar also stated that Axar will develop variations with experience but he needs to back his strength.
"With experience, with more Test matches that he plays, he will obviously add a little more variety. Right now, at his second Test, his strength is his accuracy and that is what he needs to keep doing," Gavaskar further said.
Apart from Patel, veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also claimed 3 wickets for India.