Axar registered figures of 2/24 in his four overs but could not stop Sri Lanka from setting a massive 207-run target for India in the second T20I in Pune on Thursday, January 5. He followed it with an enterprising 65-run knock off just 31 deliveries, which went in vain as the Men in Blue lost the match by 16 runs.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that Axar could be vital for both Team India and the Delhi Capitals going ahead, elaborating:
The former Indian opener highlighted that the spin-bowling all-rounder stood out with both ball and bat, stating:
Ravindra Jadeja, who has been India’s first-choice spin-bowling all-rounder over the last few years, has not yet fully recovered from the knee injury he suffered during the Asia Cup. Rishabh Pant suffered a horrific accident a few days back and is unlikely to be seen in action in IPL 2023.
“It’s almost done and dusted” - Aakash Chopra lauds Axar Patel and Suryakumar Yadav’s partnership
Chopra highlighted that the fate of the match was almost sealed in Sri Lanka’s favor when Axar joined Suryakumar Yadav in the middle, observing:
The renowned commentator opined that the result of the game might have been different had Suryakumar stayed with Axar for a little while longer, saying:
The Men in Blue were reduced to 57/5 in the 10th over when Deepak Hooda was dismissed. Suryakumar and Axar added 91 runs for the sixth wicket in 6.4 overs before the former was caught by Wanindu Hasaranga off Dilshan Madushanka’s bowling to give the upper hand back to the visitors.
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