It’s Axar Patel’s world and we are living in it. The affable all-rounder has had an impressive 2023 with the bat so far with his innings time and again sparing his teams the blushes. On Tuesday, he once again was the saviour of an otherwise crumbling Delhi Capitals’ batting with his stroke-filled half-century propelling them to a total – 172-all out- they would’ve fancied defending.
Alas, it wasn’t the case as Mumbai Indians huffed and puffed to a thrilling six-wicket win riding on captain Rohit Sharma’s brisk half-century to record their first win of IPL 2023. A slip in the middle overs saw the contest dragged into the final over as a six each from Cameron Green and Tim David in the 19th over left MI needing five to win.
Anrich Nortje then bowled a stupendous five deliveries leaving MI two to win off the last which they did.
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Let’s rewind a couple of months back to February. Australia are in India for the Border Gavaskar Trophy. The first Test is in Nagpur and a splendid Rohit Sharma’s ton comes in response to Australia’s total of 177-all out.
However, a middle-order collapse means the tourists can hope of limiting the damage. Srikar Bharat’s dismissal leaves India at a tricky 204/7.
Enter Axar.
He drops anchor and with Ravindra Jadeja, takes India’s final total to 400 which is enough for an innings win. Axar’s contribution: 84 off 174.
The caravan moves to Delhi. India are in danger of conceding a first innings lead. Virat Kohli has battled for his 44 runs but then Matthew Kuhnemann gets the best of him by having him lbw.
Enter Axar.
He watches from the other end as India slip to 139/7. This time, Axar finds Ravichandran Ashwin and gets India to 262-all out and ensures Australia have just a one-run lead. India went on to win by six wickets.
Axar’s contribution? 74 off 115.
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In Ahmedabad’s run-fest, Axar, expectedly feasted on the bowlers. The pitch was friendlier to batters so he scored at a brisk pace too – his 79 runs came at a strike-rate of 69.91.
It’s another matter that Axar had made his name with a truckload of wickets in his first eight Test with an eye-popping 47 scalps. This year, his bowling took a backseat, sort of, it has to when the masters Ashwin and Jadeja are operating.
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Back to IPL 2023. The format is different. The circumstances are similar.
Delhi Capitals are desperate to avoid a fourth defeat on the trot. They are facing Mumbai Indians, a team that is hoping to avoid their third loss in a row. Both are yet to put points on the table.
MI field first and Piyush Chawla (3/22) has reduced DC to 98/5 inside 13 overs.
Enter Axar.
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For company, this time, he has a much more accomplished batter, an IPL legend if you may, in David Warner who incidentally is also leading DC in the absence of Rishabh Pant this season.
Warner, like he has done twice before this season, has been waging a lone battle even as others around him continue to struggle. He peels off a third fifty in four innings but again, it has come at a slow pace – a strike rate of just over 116 and it eventually dropped down to 108.51 when he was dislodged on 51.
His slow pace and the struggle of other batters make you presume that the pitch may be challenging. It was but Axar figures out the way to make the most of it.
In a matter of 24 deliveries, he showed how to bat on the Delhi pitch. He showed his power game against both the pacers and the pacers with ease en route to a 22-ball fifty – his first of IPL career.
He brought the Delhi crowd alive with back-to-back sixes off Hrithik Shokeen – both carved over covers. The lefty then muscled one past Cameron Green for a straight four.
Jason Behrendorff (3/23) would be clattered for a pair of sixes as well before he bowled a mayhem of an over in which DC would lose four wickets.
Axar was given a life by Suryakumar Yadav when he ended up parrying one over the long-on for a six but then again, as the saying goes: fortune favours the bold.
Axar’s pyrotechnics did have an expiry though when he holed out in the deep on 54 off 25. The significance of his innings can be gauged from the fact that once he exited, DC lost their final four wickets for the addition of just seven runs.
DC have plenty to ponder upon. Barring Warner and Axar today, their batting has lacked solidity and their bowling is missing spark. For MI, the impressive chase could be the tonic they need to revive their season.
DC’s captain and vice-captain have put in the hard yards. Will the others stand up?
Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 173/4 (Rohit Sharma 65, Tilak Varma 41) beat DC 172-all out (Axar Patel 54, David Warner 51) by six wickets
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