Kanpur, Nov 27 (PTI) Axar Patel, who took 32 wickets in his first seven Test innings (four matches), says the secret of his success lies in enjoying his skills in the game and he cannot be called a T20 specialist.
The left-arm spinner took five for 62 in the first innings of the first Test against New Zealand, helping the Indian team make a comeback in the match.
In just seven innings, he took five wickets for the fifth time. He may have bowled on pitches favoring spinners but it is an incredible feat.
The Gujarat bowler said, “Whenever I have played first-class or India A, I have done well. I have never seen myself as a specialist in the white ball (limited overs format).
He said, “All these things are in the mind, what do you think of yourself. A white ball specialist or red ball (Test) specialist. I always believed that whenever I get a chance I will do well.
“I would give credit to the team members for believing in me and being able to live up to their expectations,” he said.
Asked about the added pressure in the team in the presence of two world-class spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, he said, “Whenever I go on the field, I try my best. I don’t think whether Ashwin is bhai or Jaddu or not, I just enjoy the game.
Akshar said, “When I have the ball in my hand, I just try to enjoy my bowling. I try to understand the pitch and plan accordingly.
When asked about the situation after the third day’s play of the Test match between India and New Zealand, he said that there is not much crack in the pitch and there are very few balls that are spinning more or bounce less. Are you taking
“Our batsmen were present on the field and their assessment was that the cracks in the pitch are not wide open and only a select ball is getting some spin. If you play the ball on its own merit, it won’t be much of a problem. Not getting any unusual bounce from the pitch.
He said that current captain Ajikya Rahane and coach Rahul Dravid were not too worried when wickets were not falling during New Zealand’s first innings. The New Zealand openers batted for 67 overs.
“Obviously, if you don’t get wickets for 67 overs, the situation becomes difficult but the dressing room atmosphere was calm as Ajju bhai (Rahane) and Rahul sir were not taking the pressure. He said that we have to be patient because if we get one wicket then there will be some more success. ,
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