"Axar Patel has grabbed his opportunities" - Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar has said Axar Patel has done exceedingly well in the chances he has gotten. He added it could make Ravindra Jadeja's return difficult.

The lanky left-arm spinner picked up 27 wickets in the three Tests he played against England. The total is the joint-most wickets an Indian bowler has taken in his debut series.

Most Wickets in a Debut series for INDAxar patel - 27* Wickets (This series)Dilip doshi - 27 Wickets vs Aus 1979/80Shivlal Yadav - 24 Wickets vs Aus 1979/80A DREAM DEBUT SERIES FOR AKSHAR.#INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/uWGXHFO6F2

— M A N I (@ManiKumar_15) March 6, 2021

While talking on Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar pointed out that Axar Patel made the best use of the chance he got and gave a good all-round account of himself.

"Axar Patel has grabbed his opportunities. He has taken 27 wickets, he has also shown that he can bat well and he is also a very good fielder, probably not as good as Ravindra Jadeja," said Gavaskar.

The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons Ravindra Jadeja might have to fight his way back into the Indian team. He added competition for places augurs well for the Virat Kohli-led side.

"It's not going to be easy for Ravindra Jadeja to break into the team because if you go by form, with him not having played much cricket, the Indian think tank might want to retain Axar Patel. It's always good to have two players fighting for one place because that means that complacency will not set in," added Gavaskar.

---

"Axar Patel has taken to Test cricket like a duck to water" - Graeme Swann

Axar Patel made the best use of the spinning tracks on offer in the series

Graeme Swann stated Axar Patel's excellent performance makes it seem like he was always made for this format of the game.

"Axar Patel has been brilliant in this series. Debut series - 27 wickets, he has bowled superbly. He has taken to Test cricket like a duck to water. I wish everyone found it that easy," said the former England off-spinner.

Axar Patel's 27 wickets are the second-most by an Indian bowler after his first three Tests, only behind Narendra Hirwani's 31 scalps.

Most wickets after bowler's first three Tests..31 - Narendra Hirwani in 198829 - Charlie Turner in 1887-188827 - Rodney Hogg in 1978-197927 - Axar Patel in 2021#INDvENG #INDvsENG #INDvsEND

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) March 6, 2021

Despite the Gujarat spinner's outstanding performances, Ravindra Jadeja is likely to get back his place in the Indian team once he regains full fitness.

Jadeja has been one of the standout all-rounders in world cricket in the last few years. He has averaged 46.28 with the bat and 24.57 with the ball since the beginning of 2016.

However, Axar Patel has presented his case as a viable alternative in case of an injury or whenever India looks to play three spinners.