Axar Patel has made Test cricket look easy. In just seven innings, across four Tests, Axar has picked 32 wickets at just 10.87, with a strike rate of 20.3, which includes five five-wicket hauls. The fifth came on Saturday, during day 3 of the opening Test against New Zealand in Kanpur.
India sniffed an opportunity of restricting New Zealand with a first-innings deficit when Axar dismissed Ross Taylor after Lunch. The spell also included the dismissal of Henry Nicholls and Tom Latham, before he returned after Tea to get rid of Tom Blundell and Tim Southee to finish with 5 for 62.
“It's a dream start, in fact this is a dream within a dream start for me. No, it (Test cricket) isn't that easy,” said Axar to the broadcasters at the end of day's play.
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He then revealed that he used the crease more, which was evident from his dismissal of Taylor and Latham, and stuck to his round-arm action. What also worked for Axar was that 70 per cent of his deliveries were on good length and 40 per cent were targeting the stumps.
“Was a hard grind today. They didn't lose any wickets yesterday and the talk was to keep it tight, don't try for wickets every ball, just look to be patient. I was sticking to the basics and using the crease a bit. My round-arm deliveries were getting something out of the track and I was optimising that a lot. That's what worked for me. The track is getting slower and there has been more turn now. Variable bounce is also increasing but still think that runs can be made if the batters apply themselves,” he explained.
{{/usCountry}}“Was a hard grind today. They didn't lose any wickets yesterday and the talk was to keep it tight, don't try for wickets every ball, just look to be patient. I was sticking to the basics and using the crease a bit. My round-arm deliveries were getting something out of the track and I was optimising that a lot. That's what worked for me. The track is getting slower and there has been more turn now. Variable bounce is also increasing but still think that runs can be made if the batters apply themselves,” he explained.
{{/usCountry}}Axar's feat helped India restrict New Zealand 49 short of their first-innings total before the hosts extended it to 63 at end of day 3.