"Can Axar Patel do all the overs please" - Twitterati react to the Indian spinner's miserly spell in 2nd T20I vs Sri Lanka

Team India's left-arm spinner Axar Patel starred with the ball during the side's second T20I of the ongoing three-match series against Sri Lanka on Thursday, January 5.

Sri Lanka were off to a flying start after being asked to bat first at the MCA Stadium in Pune, accumulating 47 runs from the first four overs. Axar, who came in to bowl the fifth over, started his spell on a fantastic note, conceding just two runs.

While the spinner went for 12 in his second over, he bounced back by dismissing Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka in his third. Axar also removed Dhananjaya de Silva in his final over to finish with figures of 4/24 from four overs.

Several fans took to social media to laud the all-rounder for his inspired spell. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter:

Notably, the Indian spinners did well in the second T20I, as both Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal made it difficult for the Sri Lankan batters with their tidy line and length.

Chahal, who struggled in the series opener, conceded just 30 runs and picked up the crucial wicket of the well-set Kusal Mendis.

Axar Patel was one of the key architects in India's narrow win over Sri Lanka in 1st T20I

Axar Patel performed admirably with bat and ball in the opening encounter of the T20I series against Sri Lanka. Coming out to bat when India were 94/5, he steadied the ship alongside Deepak Hooda.

The two batters orchestrated an unconquered 68-run partnership for the sixth wicket, taking the Men in Blue to a fighting total of 162. Axar remained unbeaten on 31 off 20 balls.

Axar also contributed significantly with the ball, bowling a fantastic last over to help his side clinch victory. He was entrusted with the job of bowling an all-important final over during Sri Lanka's run-chase.

The crafty spinner had the challenging task of defending 13 runs from six balls. He showcased great composure despite enormous pressure, guiding Hardik Panda and Co. to a thrilling two-run victory to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

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Aditya writes news, features, listicles, and exclusive pieces at Sportskeeda as a cricket journalist. After completing his MBA in Sports Management from Symbiosis, he started his professional journey and has a total work experience of 5 years, which included a stint at Republic World. Impressively, he has also done exclusive on-site coverage of two T20 World Cups (2021, 2022), the 2023 ODI World Cup, and 5 editions of IPL, and boasts a total readership of close to 14 million at Sportskeeda. He has also played cricket professionally at the AIU Zonal level for Ahmedabad district.

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