It Was Axar Patel's Masterclass That Defeated England Not The Pitch

Being a spinner holding a pink ball had never been easy in the 15 Day/Night test matches that were played before India-England's Motera test. Yet, the local boy Axar Patel, who was just one test match old, spun English batsmen out in two days. 

India defeated England within two days in which just 842 balls were bowled. The time England batsmen could settle in, the match got over. 

Many pundits scrutinized the pitch which gave a result in under six sessions of a test match. 

But, the Indian captain Virat Kohli called it 'Bizarre' and talked about lack of application from batsmen from sides and not a fault of the pitch where spinners took 28 of the 30 wickets that fell.

Further, he pointed out that 21 wickets of the 30 wickets fell from the delivery that went straight.  However, the most important thing that Kohli said was about Man of the Match Axar Patel. 

“It is impossible to sweep him. It is impossible to defend him.” 

In very simple terms, Kohli explained why Axar Patel was so lethal with the pink ball. 

 

Screen Grab - BCCI TV

This is the pitch map of Axar Patel in the first innings. He was consistent in bowling in the same area which was attacking the stumps. The batsmen had no choice but to play him. The area in which he was bowling, created doubt in batsmen's mind as to whether come forward or go back. 

He was bowling quick as well. Patel got help from the Pink lacquer which helped in skidding the ball. The oddball turned but Axar got nine of his 11 wickets on the ball that went straight and on each of that dismissal he either bowled the batsmen or got an LBW. 

"My aim was to bowl wicket to wicket and use the help on offer. In Chennai, the ball wasn’t skidding. But here it was skidding which resulted in more lbw decisions,” Axar had said at the press conference after the first day’s play. 

“The pink ball had more glare, so it was skidding more after pitching. I got more skid on this wicket than Chennai. As such, I was focussing more on under-cutting the ball. I tried to bowl a lot faster so that I can take more advantage with the new ball.”

 

Screen Grab - BCCI TV

In the second innings, Jonny Bairstow's dismissal was a clear example of English batsmen's failure to understand the pitch and the pink ball. They were playing for the spin but Axar Patel got them from his arm-ball. It was truly a masterclass from the local boy who never really looked like playing his 2nd test and a replacement of Ravindra Jadeja.