'Wouldn't have worked had I bowled quicker' - Axar Patel dissects semi-final antics ahead of T20 WC final against South Africa

Axar Patel has been a revelation for the Indian Team as the all-rounder has showcased his prowess with both bat and ball. He batted with a calculative approach against Pakistan as the top order collapsed and bowled precisely by making Imad Wasim play five dots on the trot in death overs. His athleticism was at its best when he plucked Mitch Marsh’s catch out of thin air and India were back in the game against Australia.

The southpaw who was being overlooked by the management as Ravindra Jadeja possessed the same skillsets, delivered a match-winning performance in the semifinal against England. When Jos Buttler was getting into the groove during the chase, he plucked him out and sent Jonny Bairstow packing. After he got Moeen Ali out, India sensed a victory. But Axar, who recieved the Player of the Match award, credited his ability to keep it a tad slower on a sluggish Guyana wicket.

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“I have bowled in the powerplay in the past, so I had to bowl in the powerplay, that was the plan. The wicket was stopping and keeping low, so tried to bowl in the right areas. The wicket was slow, so I tried to bowl slower in this match, it worked for me. Wouldn't have worked had I bowled quicker, would have been easier for their batters,” said Axar as quoted by RCB’s official website.

Our batters told us that the wicket wasn't easy: Axar

Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav brought India back into the game after losing Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant cheaply. The duo added 73 runs for the third wicket and pushed India closer to the par score. While Rohit scored 57 off 39, Suryakumar departed after a responsible 47 off 36. Axar highlighted the contribution and acknowledged that the pitch aided his onslaught.

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“Our batters told us that the wicket wasn't easy, so 160 was a good total according to us. That partnership (between Rohit and SKY) was magnificent, they scored the occasional boundaries and rotated the strike. Not thinking about Barbados at the moment, will celebrate this player of the match award first,” he added.