Axar Patel's 5 best moments for India

Team India all-rounder Axar Patel is celebrating his 30th birthday on Saturday, January 20. He made his international debut back in 2014 in an ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur. Axar registered figures of 1/59 in a game which the Men in Blue won by seven wickets, cleaning up Mashrafe Mortaza (18) to claim his first international scalp.

Axar hasn’t been a regular part of the playing XI in any of the formats as he has often been competing with Ravindra Jadeja for one of the all-rounder slots. Though, given an opportunity, more often than not, he has delivered for the team with the ball. Over the last year or so, his batting has also improved significantly.

In 12 Tests, Axar has claimed 50 wickets at an average of 17.16 and has notched up four half-centuries. In ODIs, he has 60 scalps from 57 matches at an average of 32.86. With the bat, he has registered two fifties. Speaking of his T20I career, he has 49 wickets in 52 matches, averaging 24.20. While batting, the left-hander has a strike rate of 144.40 with one half-century.

On the occasion of his birthday, we look at Axar’s five best moments for Team India.

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#5 Claiming 3 big wickets in an ODI against South Africa

The left-arm spinner celebrates a wicket in a T20I against South Africa. (Pic: Getty Images)

Axar impressed with figures of 3/39 in an ODI against South Africa in Indore in October 2015. Defending a target of 248, he picked up three key wickets as India held the Proteas to 225 in 43.4 overs. The left-arm spinner got the massive wicket of Hashim Amla (17), beating him with turn and having him stumped.

Axar then trapped the well-set Jean-Paul Duminy (36) lbw. The left-hander looked to sweep one, but missed the ball and was struck on the pads. He had his third wicket, another big one, when Faf du Plessis (51) chipped a catch to cover. The Proteas could never recover from Axar’s crucial strikes.

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#4 Picking up 3/9 vs New Zealand in Kolkata

Axar registered his career-best T20I figures of 3/9 against New Zealand at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in November 2021. The Men in Blue were defending a total of 184, but the left-arm spinner’s brilliance held them to 111.

The 30-year-old picked up the first wicket to fall in New Zealand’s innings when he had Daryl Mitchell (5) caught at cover with a full delivery. Mark Chapman (0) was then beaten in flight, turn and dip, and was comprehensively stumped.

New Zealand were three down inside the powerplay for only 30 runs when the Indian left-arm spinner cleaned up the dangerous Glenn Phillips (0). The Kiwi batter went for a reverse sweep on to lose his leg stump as he missed a full delivery.

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#3 Lifting India to victory against West Indies with a brilliant knock under pressure

The Indian cricketer has improved his batting tremendously in recent years. (Pic: Getty Images)

Axar played the finisher’s role in the second ODI against West Indies in Port of Spain in July 2022. Set to chase a challenging target of 312, the Men in Blue got home courtesy of Axar’s unbeaten 64 off 35 balls. a wonderful knock under pressure, which included five fours and three sixes.

India went into the last 10 overs needing 100 runs with five wickets in hand. The left-hander clubbed Akeal Hosein and Romario Shepherd for sixes in consecutive overs. He kept finding the boundaries at key moments even as India were losing wickets.

Axar began the 47th over by striking consecutive fours off Shepherd. With six needed off three balls, the batter launched Kyle Mayers for a maximum straight down the ground to seal a tense win for India. The Windies pacer missed his yorker and Axar took full advantage of it to lift the Men in Blue to a famous win.

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#2 Mr. Consistent with the bat for India the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Axar did not have much to do with the ball for India in the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy as Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja dominated proceedings. However, he made a huge impact with the bat in the four-match series. In fact, the southpaw was the second-leading run-getter for India, notching up 264 runs in five innings at an average of 88.

Axar scored 84 in the first innings of the Nagpur Test, which the hosts won by an innings and 132 runs. In the second Test in Delhi, he contributed another impressive knock of 74 as India registered victory by six wickets.

In the fourth and final Test of the series in Ahmedabad, the left-hander contributed a fluent 79 in a drawn encounter. Of all the Indian batters, he looked the most confidant in the series.

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#1 Sensational debut Test series against England

Axar Patel had a tremendous debut Test series against England. (Pic: Getty Images)

Axar had an incredible debut Test series against England at home in 2020/21. After missing the first Test due to a knee injury, the left-arm spinner played the next three games and wreaked havoc, claiming 27 wickets at an average of 10.59, finishing as the second-leading wicket-taker in the series.

The debutant claimed two wickets in the first innings of the second Test in Chennai and followed it up with 5/60 in the second innings as England were bowled out for 164 in a chase of 482. The spinner was nearly unplayable in the pink ball Test in Ahmedabad, which ended on Day 2. Axar claimed 6/38 in the first innings and followed it up with 5/32 in the second as India registered a frenetic 10-wicket triumph.

The 30-year-old continued his excellent form with the ball in the final Test of the series at the same venue. He registered figures of 4/68 and 5/48 in India’s triumph by an innings and 25 runs.