Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has showered praise on Axar Patel after India registered a six-wicket win against England in the first ODI at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Tuesday. Patel delivered with both bat and ball as India bagged their first win on the UK tour.
After Harry Brook won the toss, England was skittled out for 258 after fifties from Joe Root and Liam Dawson. Patel played a key role in India’s bowling innings, returning with his career-best ODI figures of 4-62. The left-arm orthodox spinner accounted for Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid and Josh Tongue.
Furthermore, Patel scored a fine knock of 57 runs off 52 balls in the run chase of 259 with the help of five fours and one six. He added 105 runs off 102 balls with Washington Sundar to get India over the line after India lost the wickets of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul in quick time. Ergo, he was awarded Player of the Match for his all-round performance.
Ravi Shastri said on Sky Sports, “He is a confident cricketer now. He has captained sides and believes in his ability. That’s why he has got the nod ahead of Jadeja. He is the senior all-rounder in the side now. With the ball, he has come a long way with his variations in pace.”
“With the bat, he is a solid striker with a good head on his shoulders. He reads the game extremely well. He can play both ways, be the aggressor or hold the innings together, based on the situation. He lends great depth to India, which becomes handy in a run-chase.”
Shastri added that India desperately needed this win against England after they received a drubbing in the T20I series.
“They needed this victory, especially for the team management. The pressure would have continued to build with another loss. So the comeback today will ease the nerves not just in the middle going forward, but also in the dressing room,” said Shastri (via the aforementioned source).
“They’ve the right mix of youth and experience in this format. It’s important to have both. They are bringing in youngsters in the fast-bowling department and keeping experience in the batting unit.”
The second ODI between India and England will be played at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on Thursday.
