Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
'He did not make the same mistake': Nehra hails India bowler after super show in Chennai
India vs England: Ashish Nehra loved watching the India bowler perform in Chennai, but it wasn't R Ashwin.
The second Test between India and England at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai will always belong to R Ashwin. Playing on his home ground in front of a returning crowd, Ashwin lit up the Test by taking a five-wicket-haul in the first innings – the 29th of his career – and made it even more memorable by scoring a century in India's second. Fittingly, Ashwin was adjudged Player of the Match for his scintillating all-round performance.
However, another bowler who made a big impact was left-arm spinner Axar Patel. Making his Test debut, Axar rocked England's second innings, picking up 5/60 to bundle them out for 160, chasing 482 to win. Axar was in line to make his debut in the first Test, but was ruled out due to a knee injury. His replacement Shahbaz Nadeem appeared toothless in his bowling picking 2/167 and 2/66 in the match. However, when Axar did get a game, he did not disappoint.
Also Read | 'There was some pressure, having not played a lot of Tests in last 2 years'
Former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra was impressed by what he saw of Axar, pointing out how the left-arm spinner did not make the same mistake as Nadeem and complimented fellow spinner Ashwin well throughout the Test.
"Axar Patel grabbed the chance that Shahbaz Nadeem let go of when he played because of Axar's injury. But Axar Patel did not make the same mistake. We repeatedly said that the conditions were favourable for spin bowling but still you need to bowl and take the wickets by showing the consistency," Nehra said on Star Sports.
Also Read | 'One good Test match doesn't make you a good keeper': Vaughan on Pant
Axar's 5/60 made him the ninth India bowler to pick up a five-wicket-haul on debut and the sixth Indian spinner after VV Kumar, Dilip Doshi, Narendra Hirwani, Ashwin and Amit Mishra. Axar made his ODI debut in 2014, followed by his first T20I game a year later. It took the left-arm spinner six years to finally break into the Test team.
"The experience of domestic cricket was clearly evident as he did what he knows, he kept bowling at the same spot. We had discussed earlier as well that Ravichandran Ashwin was there in any case with the experience but Axar Patel can also take five wickets and he did that," added Nehra.
