The Men in Blue beat Sri Lanka by two runs in a thrilling encounter at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3. Sent in to bat first after losing the toss, the hosts recovered from 94/5 to post 162/5. Deepak Hooda (41* off 23) and Axar (31* off 20) added an unbroken 68-run stand for the sixth wicket.
On the bowling front, Mavi was outstanding with figures of 4/22, while Umran Malik also impressed with 2/27. Sri Lanka, however, fought back well courtesy of their skipper, Dasun Shanaka (45 off 27). The visitors needed 13 off the last over bowled by Axar. The left-arm spinner conceded a six but recovered well to ensure victory for India.
Hooda was adjudged Player of the Match for his counter-attacking knock, which featured one four and four sixes. Asked if he agreed with the decision, Jaffer told ESPNcricinfo:
While Axar went wicketless in his three overs, conceding 31 runs, Mavi got the wickets of Pathum Nissanka (one), Dhananjaya de Silva (eight), Wanindu Hasaranga (21), and Maheesh Theekshana (one).
“He needs to step up in his bowling” - Wasim Jaffer on Axar Patel
While Jaffer praised Axar for making another significant contribution with the willow, he also urged the all-rounder to improve his bowling.
Speaking about the 28-year-old, he commented:
While Mavi, Umran, and skipper Hardik Pandya (0/12) impressed with the ball, Axar and leg-spinner Chahal (0/26 from two overs) had an off day.
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