Axar Patel can be given upper-order batting, the player himself gave information

Sydney. Ravindra Jadeja’s place is difficult to fill but the Indian team management has asked Axar Patel to be ready to bat up the order if needed. India’s top six batsmen are right-handed batsmen and Rishabh Pant is not a part of the strategy right now, so a left-handed batsman is needed to spoil the momentum of the opposition’s bowlers.

Akshar was sent to bat at number five against Pakistan but this decision did not work as he was run out after scoring just one run. Axar told reporters here that Pakistan has left-arm spinner Nawaz and leg-spinner Shadab Khan, so it was important to send a left-hander and I was sent to bat. “Our top six batsmen play right-handed and that’s why the team management has told me that if need be, I can be sent to play in the middle overs and I should be ready for that,” he said. I have been assigned the role and I did well in the practice match.

Akshar got only one over against Pakistan in which Iftikhar Ahmed hit three sixes. Against the Netherlands, however, he bowled well and took two wickets for 18 runs in his four overs. Axar said after the match against Netherlands that the pitch was a bit dry and the ball was coming to a halt. There was no grip on the ball and that’s why I was asked to bowl a slam. That was our strategy. He said that I was sitting with the video analyst and bowling coach after the match against Pakistan. In fact there are some days when the batsman takes a risk against you. I assessed three sixes that were hit against me. Out of these, I had spoiled only one ball.