CARRARA
India’s dependable all-rounder Axar Patel credited his evolution as a cricketer to lessons learned from past mistakes, particularly his earlier tendency to let boundary dimensions influence his shot-making. His composed 11-ball 21, featuring a four and a six in the final over off Marcus Stoinis, proved vital in India’s 48-run victory over Australia in the fourth T20I on Friday.
Batting lower down the order with wickets falling regularly, Axar held his nerve and paced his innings intelligently. “I knew it was tough because wickets were falling back to back,” he said in a chat with teammate Shivam Dube on ‘bcci.tv’. “The message was to take it deep as there weren’t many batsmen left. I decided to back myself in the last over. The side boundaries were big, but I thought if I could hold my shape and watch the ball closely, I could clear them.”
Reflecting on his growth, the 31-year-old said he previously made the mistake of letting boundary size dictate his shots. “When I think about boundary size, I end up pre-determining my shots and making mistakes. I’ve learnt to play freely and with focus,” he added.
Besides his quickfire runs, Axar picked up two crucial wickets, earning the player of the match award. One of them came through a well-judged DRS call against Matthew Short. “I’m not usually someone who takes reviews, but this time I felt the ball was hitting. After checking with Jitesh, we went for it — and it worked,” he said.
Explaining his bowling approach, Axar noted that the pitch didn’t favor spinners. “My plan was to bowl wicket to wicket and focus on economy. The dew made it skid, so I relied more on bounce than spin,” he said.
With India now leading the five-match series 2-1, the final game in Brisbane today offers a chance to finish on a high.