Axar Patel had waited a long time for a Test cap. He had played ODIs since 2014 and T20Is since 2015, but when England arrived in India in early 2021 he had not played international cricket for almost three years. Then a knee injury ruled him out of the first Test in Chennai, which England won by 227 runs.
Chennai: a debut with a five-for
He finally made his debut in the second Test at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, starting on 13 February 2021. His first Test wicket was Joe Root, England's captain, who had made a double century in the previous match. In the second innings Axar took 5 for 60 as England were bowled out for 164, and India levelled the series with a 317-run win.
That made him only the ninth India bowler to take a five-wicket haul on Test debut.
Ahmedabad: eleven wickets under lights
The third Test was a day-night match with the pink ball at the rebuilt Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, in his home state of Gujarat. It was over inside two days. Axar took 6 for 38 as England were bowled out for 112, then 5 for 32 as they collapsed to 81 in their second innings. India won by ten wickets and he was named Player of the Match.
His method was simple and very hard to counter. He bowled quickly for a spinner, attacked the stumps, and let the ball that skidded on straight do as much damage as the one that turned. On pitches offering help, batters had almost no time to adjust.
Finishing the job
In the fourth Test, also in Ahmedabad, he took 4 for 68 in England's first innings and five more in the second as India won by an innings and 25 runs. The 3–1 series win sent India to the final of the first World Test Championship.
He finished with 27 wickets at an average of 10.59 from three matches, second only to R. Ashwin in the series. Until then he had mostly been seen as a white-ball player. After it, he was a genuine Test option in home conditions.
By Axarpatel.com Editorial Desk • Curated by NK