Axar Patel was promoted to No.5 after India lost three quick wickets in the 2024 T20 World Cup final and went on to score a crucial 47 in 31, making it yet another instance when his batting up the order has paid off for India.
Considered an understudy for Ravindra Jadeja for most parts of his career, Axar has turned a corner in the T20 World Cup, starring in all departments. India’s decision to play both Axar and Jadeja together in the event - also the first time the two were a part of the same XI in the format - was a bold move, largely a result of the flexibility Axar offers with both bat and ball.
Not only is the left-hander capable of bowling consistently in the powerplay, but he has often also been pushed up the order to tackle his favourable match-up against spin while also extending the batting line-up and protecting the main batters following a collapse.
Axar’s batting stocks have risen in the last few years, with the improvement extending all formats. Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid have maximised what he has to offer, pushing him up the order to break the monotony, the latest of which came against the Proteas in the T20 World Cup final.
Having lost Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav early, India sent in Axar to navigate nine balls left in the powerplay. With spin expected to rule the middle overs and with two of the remaining three India batters not in the greatest form, Axar was sent in to bring the team back into the game. Axar took the lead, with Virat Kohli at the other end not at his strongest against spin, making a 31-ball 47 with the help of four sixes, double of what the next-best batter could manage.
India stitched together 72 runs in nine overs for the fourth wicket, a period in which Kohli did not hit a single boundary. Axar’s counter-attacking knock also allowed Kohli to play the role of an anchor, taking off the pressure from the senior player, who unleashed his strokes in the death overs as India posted a formidable 176-7. It also meant that South Africa were reluctant to bowl Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, with India having a left-hander right till the end of the innings.
Axar has batted between No.4 and 6 in just six of his 36 innings in T20Is, batting above his usual lower-order role for the first time in June 2022 following a sensational Indian Premier League where he averaged 45.50 and struck at 151.67 with the bat.
With Jadeja injured ahead of the T20 World Cup, India had identified Axar as the batter to take over his role at No.7. Ahead of the multi-national event, Axar batted above 7 four times with varied success with his best being a 12-ball 17 against England in Southampton while batting at No.6. In the other three games, he made a combined 25 runs in 24 balls.
Axar was pushed up to No.5 against Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup, admittedly to tackle the left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz and leg-spinner Shadab Khan after India lost early wickets. Axar’s innings ended in an unfortunate run out and it was only two years later that he was promoted again, once again against Pakistan in the 2024 edition. The move could have been to protect Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube from the movement the Pakistan pacers were generating off the pitch and in the air.
Though he made only 20 in 18, it was a valuable knock in the context of the game. On a tough wicket, India were 19-2 and Axar’s knock ensured the new ball was seen off, which he admitted was what his role was.
India have used Axar sporadically up the order, but whenever they have, he has fulfilled his responsibility more often than not. He has given them the chance to play around with the batting order, adjusting according to the match situation and the conditions.
India have won four of the seven games when he has played up the order and while it's a ploy that may not have tactically paid off in terms of results, he has given India the chance to play around with the batting order according to the match situation and the conditions, essaying his role to perfection.
