Axar Patel Reveals Why Left-Arm Spinners Find It Tough To Break Into India's Test Team

Indian spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel had one of the most impactful debuts in Test cricket in recent times. Axar Patel had spun a web around English batsmen in the four-match Test series this year at home after the tourists gunned down India in the first match and looked primed to win the rubber. But the left-arm spinner left the batters gasping for breath as India beat England in the next three Tests to win the series. But Patel named Ravindra Jadeja as a significant factor in why left-arm spinners have found it difficult to break into the Test team.

Ravindra Jadeja hasn’t played for India since the tour of Australia and has been one of the best performers across formats in recent times. The Saurashtra all-rounder has proved his worth in all the departments and has proved undroppable. With Jadeja injured ahead of the home series against England, the selectors picked Axar Patel in the squad. Patel, who replaced Shahbaz Nadeem for the second Test, snared 17 wickets in three matches at 13.75 with four fifers and a ten-wicket haul.

Axar Patel, who made his international debut in 2015, opined that his skills were not a problem, but Ravindra Jadeja’s brilliance was why he could not break into the Test team. The 27-year old underlined that Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja were doing outstandingly and the team combination forced India to stick to that. Hence, when Axar got an opportunity, he tried to do the best he could.

“I don’t feel I was lacking anything. Unfortunately, I was injured and lost my place in the ODIs. In Tests, [Ravindra] Jadeja and [Ravichandran] Ashwin were doing well. The way Jadeja was performing, it was very hard for any other left-arm spin all-rounder to find a place. The wrist spinners Kuldeep (Yadav) and (Yuzvendra) Chahal were doing well. It was due to the team combination that I was out. When I got a chance, I just tried to prove myself,” Patel told The Indian Express.

He is one of my closest friends: Axar Patel

Axar Patel named keeper-batsman Rishabh Pant as one of his best friends as they were part of the same team in IPL, having a great rapport. The spin-bowling all-rounder stated that Pant keeps the atmosphere lively by cracking jokes from behind the stumps or passing on hilarious comments when things are dull.

“I have a great tuning with him, we are part of the same team in the IPL. He is one of my closest friends. He maintains that lively atmosphere in the team. He will crack jokes, even from behind the wicket. Sometimes in a five-day game if there is a partnership, it’s very tough to kill that time. It’s his role that if he feels that the atmosphere is getting dull, he will crack some jokes, he will pass on comments. It suits him,” he added.

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