Axar not worried about his place in Indian team

It has gone all downhill for New Zealand on its limited-overs tour of India after the win in the first One-Day International in Mumbai.

Kane Williamson’s men lost the remaining two ODIs, and suffered a 53-run defeat in the first Twenty20 International in Delhi – its first in seven outings against India in the shortest format. Its latest loss meant that when it faces the home side in the second game on Saturday (November 4), the series will be at stake.

The highlight of New Zealand’s victory in the first ODI was the way its batsmen, especially Tom Latham and Ross Taylor, handled the spinners. Axar Patel also acknowledged Latham as the best player of spin in the New Zealand squad, but said that after that game, the Indian bowlers changed their strategy.

“In the first ODI, they did well, playing the sweep shot a lot,” conceded Axar. “We got a bit of an idea that their plan is to sweep against spinners. So in the next game, our strategy was to use the angle – over the wicket, round the wicket and then to confuse them, pitch one ball fuller and other a bit shorter. So accordingly, we had planned.”

Axar, who is currently behind Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in the pecking order, said that he was not worried about his place in the team, and was taking it one game at a time.

“I take it match by match,” said Axar. “I don’t think like I have to cement my place in the team. I think that there is just this match for me and if I do well here, automatically I will get the next game. I already have a place in the team, that’s why I am playing.

“If you do well, the captain also backs you. I am playing since the second ODI and doing well. So obviously, the captain backs you and lets you bowl whatever you want to, sets the field of your choice. If that doesn’t work, then he will suggest a better option. But first, he leaves it to us to do what we want to do. And even if that plan is not successful, he still backs you which gives you more confidence that the captain is with you and you can bowl with a free mind.”

Speaking of the different roles of a wrist spinner and a finger spinner, Axar explained that the main goal was to create pressure and try to pick wickets in the middle overs. “The role is more or less same,” he said. “The wrist spinners are more attacking as they normally get more turn. So their role is to take wickets in middle overs. For finger spinners, the role is to contain and not let the partnership build. If there is no partnership, the pressure won’t be on bowlers. So if we can exert pressure from both ends, there are more chances of picking up wickets.”

Saturday’s game will be played in Rajkot, also Axar’s home ground, and he felt he had an idea of what to bowl on the pitch. “Since it’s my home ground, I have an idea how the wicket here is usually. I try to focus what I have been doing so far, the sort of I was doing in the IPL also. You won’t get much turn here. Usually, it’s skiddy and low bounce. So I know what I need to do. And I can also make my teammates aware about it.”

Ravi Shastri, who became the coach after the Windies tour earlier this year, was a left-arm finger spinner himself, but Axar said their discussions have been about small things here and there and not anything major.

“We don’t talk much because he also knows my bowling style is different from his. So he doesn’t tell much about changes,” he said. “He just tells that you know what to do, that’s why you are in the Indian team. Just follow the same and the rest is all mind games and handling the pressure. And as per your bowling, you should bowl stump to stump.”