The Border Gavaskar series is exciting, with India leading 2-1 and the final match being played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The hosts had dominated the first two Tests at Nagpur and Delhi before Australia, led by Steve Smith’s resurgence, clinched victory in the third Test in Indore. Despite India’s impressive performances, they still need to catch up in certain aspects. Many pundits, experts, and fans have expressed dissatisfaction with the underuse of all-rounder Axar Patel.
India missed out on utilizing Axar Patel to his full potential in the Test matches against Australia, and there are three key reasons to support this claim.
1. Underbowling him
India’s Axar Patel bowled only 67 overs in the series, while Jadeja and Ashwin bowled over 140 overs each. Axar was used only when the senior bowlers needed rest, which may have affected his rhythm. In the Indore Test, India may have suffered due to Jadeja and Ashwin’s sub-par performance, highlighting the potential missed opportunity to utilize Axar more consistently.
2. Top-notch confidence displayed by him
As seen in the Indore Test, Patel’s batting displays indicate a high confidence level, where he felt he could have contributed more after being left stranded on 15. India missed an opportunity to give him more faith after his impressive first test showing. Rohit Sharma had planned to use Axar as a third spinner and lower-order contributor, but his successful debut warranted more trust.
3. Sending him to bat at the No. 9 position
Axar Patel, with two half-centuries, has emerged as one of the best batters in the ongoing series, scoring 185 runs at an average of 92.50. He had rescued India from tough spots when the main batters struggled. India missed an opportunity to promote him following his successful outings in Nagpur and Delhi, which hurt them in Indore when the tailenders failed to support him, leading to an insufficient target for Australia.
