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Cricket PlayersEx-Pakistan captain makes mockery of Axar's bowling, asks, 'If he didn't get any turn on Colombo pitch, where will he?'
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt, while talking about the India vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup Super 4 match, critcised Axar Patel for not getting turn in Colombo.
India have so far enjoyed a great run at the Super 4 stage of the ongoing Asia Cup, where they crushed Pakistan by 228 runs, and followed it up with a 41-run victory over Sri Lanka. Most of the players have shown tremendous form, starting with captain Rohit Sharma, who smashed consecutive half-centuries.
If we move a bit further Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, and Ishan Kishan all have done equally well with the bat. Similarly, the bowlers too have been destructive, with Kuldeep Yadav leading the charge with nine wickets in just two matches.
Despite all the ups, if there is one name that failed to gather much praise is Axar Patel, with his bowling being a big concern.
Going by the recent outings, Axar's bowling has witnessed quite a dip, with the all-rounder returning wicketless against Sri Lanka on a Premadasa track, where spinners ruled the show.
20-year-old rookie Dunith Wellalage rocked the Indian batting line-up as he completed his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs. Charith Asalanka, who bowls occasional off-spin, also had a field day, while Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja were equally lethal from the Indian camp.
Despite the spin-friendly conditions in Colombo, Axar's struggle was evident. The all-rounder, who came into the XI as Shardul Thaur's replacement, was utilised for five overs, in which he conceded 29.
Salman Butt not happy with Axar Patel's bowling
Former Pakistan opener Salman Butt, while discussing the match on his YouTube channel, made a similar observation.
"When you see Axar Patel's bowling, he is not on par with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. No doubt his batting is quite good, but if he didn't get any turn on this wicket, where will he? There was so much turn on offer that even Charith Asalanka picked up four wickets. However, Axar Patel didn't get any turn, which is a matter of concern," he said.
The former Pakistan captain was all praise for Kuldeep and Jadeja. Together the due picked up six wickets in the middle overs to help India win and march to the Asia Cup final.
“Kuldeep Yadav gives the ball air. Both Kuldeep and Jadeja have very good releases, which is why there is a lot of rip. Our bowlers push the ball towards the batters instead of giving the ball air and revs. They bowl at a flatter trajectory. Yes, Jadeja also bowls flat, but he gets rip.”
