Can Axar Patel cement his spot in the Indian team with his performance this series?

Golden chance for Patel

In the modern cricket game, an all-rounder is an extremely valuable asset. No team would pass over someone who can strangle the runs during the middle period with pinpoint bowling, and then come out and score a few handy runs low down the order. As the game has evolved and improved, all-rounders have always left their mark in every single decade.

Nowadays, it has become frequent for teams to have not one, but two all-rounders in their side, which not only gives the team a good balance, it also helps in including an extra batsman or a bowler. Coming to the Indian team, the only all-rounder who is assured of a place in the side seems to be Ravichandran Ashwin.

He has been batting well and bowling exceptionally - especially in Tests - and popular opinion states he will continue to don the mantle in the coming years. The spot of the second all-rounder is now virtually open, and one candidate who sincerely hopes to fill it is Axar Patel.

Rise in the IPL

Tall and lanky, Patel was a relatively unknown face in the 2014 edition of the Indian Premier League. But with his excellent line and stump-to-stump bowling, he made headlines as his team; Kings XI Punjab reached the finals of the tournament.

Distinctly different from fellow left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, Patel relied on jagging the ball back with the arm than floating it up and getting it to spin. While it looked unconventional, it was certainly effective.

Patel finished the 2014 IPL with the most number of dot balls bowled

Batsmen who played back were beaten by the sudden pace and bounce and often looked at sea against him. Sporting a jersey titled ‘Axar’, he ran through many batting line-ups in the course of Kings XI’s magnificent run in the tournament, and also conceded very less.

Patel had a dream run in his debut IPL series, picking up 17 wickets in 17 matches. He also bowled 2 maiden overs in the tournament, a rarity in T20 cricket. He also finished with an economy rate of 6.13 in the tournament - the second best in the season. Add that to his average of 23.13, and you get a good, canny bowler who bowls with clear precision and sound judgment.

If that wasn’t enough, he also bowled the most dot balls in the tournament - 157 in total, out of a total of 264 balls, which meant that almost 60% of his deliveries were dot balls. In a game dominated by batsmen, a bowler who could bowl 3 dot balls in an over is worth his weight in gold.

But the experts felt that it was not yet time for him to make the national side. For starters, he was only 19, an age where bowlers need to get the basics right and learn to thrive under pressure. Secondly, India already had two players vying for the second all-rounder’s position - Ravindra Jadeja and Stuart Binny.

Jadeja, who had been a mainstay since 2011 was suffering a slight dip in form, and Binny was close on his heels. There was almost no chance of Patel making it to the first team. So he waited and watched, hoping for a call-up to the international side.

Impressive performances at home

But Patel need not have worried, as India announced a relatively inexperienced side to the tour of Bangladesh in June 2014, and with Jadeja rested, it seemed that Patel would finally get his chance in the side. Playing under captain newly-appointed Suresh Raina, Patel made his international debut at Dhaka, where he returned with figures of 1-59 in 10 overs.

The series went badly for him as he only managed scores of 8 and 1 in the two innings he batted. But India won the series, and nothing much was said. With Binny picking up 6-4 in the second ODI, Patel’s chances of making a return to the ODI team looked bleak.

Predictably, he was dropped for India’s tour of England in August. But after a poor showing in the Test series and an average performance in the ODIs, both Jadeja’s and Binny’s places in the sides now looked in danger. Perhaps it was keeping this in mind that Patel was selected for the home series against West Indies.

Picked for the fourth ODI, Patel showed great maturity and skill as he spun a web around the West Indians, picking up 2-26 in 10 overs. Jadeja, on the other hand, went for 80 in 9 overs.

Decisions were made, and Jadeja was dropped for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka. Patel was persisted with, and the selectors waited with bated breath to see how he would perform.

Patel took 2 wickets for only 26 runs to derail the West Indies at home

But their fears were unfounded, as Patel played beautifully. He ended the tournament as the highest wicket-taker, picking up 11 wickets in 5 games, at an excellent average of 18.09 and an impressive economy rate of 4.61 runs per over.

He picked up a minimum of two wickets in all five games and the most he conceded was 51 runs. He was later picked for the CB Series in Australia but did not perform up to expectations, failing with the bat repeatedly. He was then picked for the 2015 World Cup but did not play a single game.

Current form and worrying numbers

After the World Cup, Patel was picked over Jadeja in the tour to Bangladesh. He played only two matches but bowled without conceding too many in both matches. After the disappointing loss in Bangladesh, he was still persisted with for the tour to Zimbabwe, where many players were rested.

Ajinkya Rahane was given the captaincy, and he led a second-string side to face the Zimbabwean players. Patel was in the hot seat, and he needed to do something quick to justify his place in the side.

Once again, Patel showed that he had the ability to play well under pressure as he bowled brilliantly to the Zimbabwe batsmen. He picked up 4 wickets in the three games, finishing as India’s highest wicket-taker.

More than the number of wickets, it was his miserly economy rate - 5.00 - that underlined how good he was. He kept the run-rate under check during the middle overs and did not allow the Zimbabwe players to play their shots.

His efficacy was in display during the first game, where India successfully defended a total of 255 as Patel returned with figures of 2-41 in 10 overs. His tendency to bowl flat and straight had paid dividends, and he had returned as India’s best bowler in the series.

Even if Patel has been good with the ball, he needs to deliver with the bat to prove his worth as an all-rounder

But even if he has been good with the ball in ODIs, the biggest worry remains over his batting prowess. In 11 innings, he has only reached double figures twice and has scored three ducks. Batting at No.6 or 7, Patel’s batting needs to improve on a lot of levels if he is to remain in the side permanents.

The sole purpose of an all-rounder is that he can bat as well as bowl, and in the off-chance that Patel has a bad day in the field, he must prove that he can make it up with the bat. Unless he pulls his socks up and contribute more to the team’s total, it will be very difficult for him to keep playing for the national side.

The South Africa series and a quick comparison

With India playing most of their series at home over the next few years, it will be the best opportunity for young Patel to cement his place in the team. Playing on the subcontinent pitches of home will help him hone his spinning talent while playing in the less-hostile conditions will undoubtedly boost his confidence.

The ongoing series of South Africa has already started on a bad note for Patel - he went for 45 runs in 4 overs without picking a wicket. But he has the confidence of skipper MS Dhoni behind him as he will hope to put in a better performance in the rest of the series.

Having only played 18 matches, Patel is still new to international cricket. But he is not far behind his peers when it comes to being an all-rounder. Let us compare Patel’s performances in his first 18 ODIs with India’s last three genuine all-rounders’ numbers in their first 18 games:

Statistics in First 18 ODIs

Player	Innings	Runs	Average	Wickets	Economy Rate
Axar Patel	15	54	7.71	23	4.59
Ravindra Jadeja	10	240	34.28	11	5.10
Yuvraj Singh	16	325	20.31	7	3.92
Irfan Pathan	13	183	30.50	36	5.06

A quick look reiterates the batting slump that Patel is in. In 15 innings, he has only scored 54 runs. In comparison, his competitors all far outscore him, almost all of them having played a lesser number of innings.

As a result, his batting average has also suffered, slumping to 7.71, while all of the others have averages in excess of 20. This has been the major drawback in Patel ODI’s career, and he must rectify it if he is to be considered a full-time all-rounder and not just a second spinner.

On the other hand, Patel has shined with the ball, outstripping Yuvraj Singh and Jadeja in terms of wickets. Irfan Pathan has more wickets than him, but his economy is also higher. More importantly, Patel has taken more wickets than Jadeja - his closest competitor - at a much better economy rate in his first 18 ODIs.

Jadeja went on to play 103 more ODIs, and Patel should definitely be given the chance to play half as much at least. So this puts him on an even level among India’s three best all-rounders in modern times and increases his chances of staying in the team.

South Africa series - Make or Break

Playing against a powerful team like South Africa is a blessing in disguise for Patel. Though the Proteas boast of players like Hashim Amla, AB De Villiers, and Faf Du Plessis, Patel will still be playing in spin-friendly conditions where he can work his magic as he usually does.

The slow and skiddy pitches at home will undoubtedly help his style of bowling, and he will count on his trusty arm-ball to get him out of trouble. With Jadeja not picked for the ODI series, Patel can bowl with a pressure-free mind and do his best to make his inclusion count.

Once again, Patel will be facing the likes Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander when he comes out to bat, and he must stick his neck to prove himself worthy of being in the team. If Patel can just hang on for the rest of the series, he can be assured of a permanent spot throughout the next year.

He has already proven himself successful against South Africa - he took 4 wickets for zero runs against the South Africa ‘A’ side last month to give India ‘A’ a victory from nowhere. He also bowled well against them in the Triangular Series conducted in Chennai.

With this experience under his belt, Patel will be looking to make his lucky charms work and bamboozle the South African side into submission.

Patel’s series against South Africa will be his biggest test, but it comes with a prize of a permanent place in the team

With all-rounders like Jadeja, Binny and Rishi Dhawan breathing down his neck, Patel must thank his lucky stars that he has gotten a chance to prove himself against the South Africans - the No.3 ranked side in the world.

If he can just spin India to a win in the ODI series, he will find himself seriously being considered for the test side, where the all-rounder’s option is more or less open. If Axar can just make it through the series in one piece, he will have earned his place in the side by outfoxing the mighty South Africans - a feat that few bowlers have the luxury of doing.

The series against South Africa is rightly India’s biggest test at home in modern times. Keeping in mind that India is going up against the two best batsmen and the two best bowlers in the world, it will not be an easy series for Patel.

It is also the exact same reason why Patel should be considered a permanent in the side if he manages to get through the series with good numbers under his belt. A trial by fire awaits him in the next month, and a spot at No.7 is all but assured if he makes it through.