Axar Patel seemed to be in his zone as whatever he tried seemed to come off the middle of the bat. (P.C.:Getty)Indian all-rounder Axar Patel played the best knock of his white-ball career so far in the second ODI against West Indies at Port of Spain on Sunday (July 24). His incredible unbeaten 64 off 35 balls took the Men in Blue over the line and gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.The 28-year-old walked out to bat when the game seemed to have almost slipped out of the visitors' hands. However, he found the middle of his bat right from the get-go and played some outrageously good shots to keep India in the game.Despite running out of partners at the other end, Patel paced his innings to perfection. He stayed at the crease until the very end to ensure the visitors won their 12th consecutive ODI series against the Caribbean outfit.Fans on Twitter were ecstatic, but also in disbelief as they saw Axar Patel almost come of age as a batter with this incredible knock. Some feel that he will now provide tough competition to Ravindra Jadeja for the No. 7 spot in the Indian white-ball team.One fan also felt the match proved why one-day cricket can still serve up some nerve-wracking contests amidst fans and pundits questioning the format's future:"An innings for ages for Axar Patel. What a game. People saying ODI cricket is dead are just dead inside."Navleen Kaur@NavleenSpeaksAn innings for ages for Axar Patel. What a game. People saying ODI cricket is dead are just dead inside.172An innings for ages for Axar Patel. What a game. People saying ODI cricket is dead are just dead inside.Here are some more reactions:Mufaddal Vohra@mufaddal_vohraAxar Patel's match winning innings last night. Just fantastic, what a knock.3763374Axar Patel's match winning innings last night. Just fantastic, what a knock. https://t.co/rttgpMlmAFJohns.@CricCrazyJohnsAxar Patel is the hero of India, need 6 from 3 balls and he smashed a six. What a knock, Axar.1121103Axar Patel is the hero of India, need 6 from 3 balls and he smashed a six. What a knock, Axar. https://t.co/CjyNF87Iv3Johns.@CricCrazyJohnsAxar Patel came when India need 114 runs from 74 balls and then he smashed 64* from 35 balls - He has improved a lot with bat in this year.1162103Axar Patel came when India need 114 runs from 74 balls and then he smashed 64* from 35 balls - He has improved a lot with bat in this year. https://t.co/d3Yu2AH0o8Mufaddal Vohra@mufaddal_vohraAll of us to Axar Patel now.127062All of us to Axar Patel now. https://t.co/1F4HLvDaf8𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔@Shebas_10dulkarAxar PatelWith Bat - 64* runsWith Ball - 1 WicketLast time, An Indian player Scored 50 runs + picked 1 wicket in WI ODI matchSachin Tendulkar (57* & 1/1 in 2007)#INDvWI19637Axar PatelWith Bat - 64* runsWith Ball - 1 WicketLast time, An Indian player Scored 50 runs + picked 1 wicket in WI ODI matchSachin Tendulkar (57* & 1/1 in 2007)#INDvWIIan Raphael Bishop@irbishiMan that’s got to hurt players and fans. Still work to be done on death bowling and batting tempo. But little improvements happening. Good pitches. Congrats to India on a series win and Axar Patel for a brilliant knock🏽.127637Man that’s got to hurt players and fans. Still work to be done on death bowling and batting tempo. But little improvements happening. Good pitches. Congrats to India on a series win and Axar Patel for a brilliant knock✊🏽.Aakash Chopra@cricketaakashAxar Patel’s knock was one of the finest knocks that you’d see in a run-chase. The clarity of thought. The confidence with which he managed the chase…’incredible’ is falling short to define it. Brilliant, Bapu 3163113Axar Patel’s knock was one of the finest knocks that you’d see in a run-chase. The clarity of thought. The confidence with which he managed the chase…’incredible’ is falling short to define it. Brilliant, Bapu 😊😊Chloe-Amanda Bailey@ChloeAmandaBAxar Patel brilliance! And what a way to finish the game! Another edge of your seat ending! Thrilling stuff. #WIvIND213685Axar Patel brilliance! And what a way to finish the game! Another edge of your seat ending! Thrilling stuff. #WIvINDKarthik Raj@kartcricDoubt white-ball batsman Jadeja plays this Axar knock. Would have been getting partners on strike6915Doubt white-ball batsman Jadeja plays this Axar knock😂. Would have been getting partners on strikeNikhil 🏏@CricCrazyNIKSAxar Patel! You've played the knock of your life time! What a game! 39333Axar Patel! You've played the knock of your life time! What a game! 🙌Soorya Sesha@sooryasesha7Axar's best batting form prior to this came in 2019, incidentally in the Caribbean while playing for India A. Came close to scoring a hundred iirc and played a stunning knock much like this one. Talk about a poetic circle eh? #WIvIND31Axar's best batting form prior to this came in 2019, incidentally in the Caribbean while playing for India A. Came close to scoring a hundred iirc and played a stunning knock much like this one. Talk about a poetic circle eh? #WIvINDTheRandomCricketPhotosGuy@RandomCricketP1That's a Klusener-like performance from Axar. He will remember that for a long time. And he has every reason to. Terrific innings. Good show from the tailenders too. After a long time, a chase of 300+ that was thrilling to watch. #WIvIND18117That's a Klusener-like performance from Axar. He will remember that for a long time. And he has every reason to. Terrific innings. Good show from the tailenders too. After a long time, a chase of 300+ that was thrilling to watch. #WIvINDPrashanth S@ps_it_isThat surely is Axar Patel's coming of age innings as a batter in international cricket. What a knock!413That surely is Axar Patel's coming of age innings as a batter in international cricket. What a knock!CricketMAN2@ImTanujSingh"This is a special one. It came Crucial time and also helped the team to win the series." - Axar Patel26014"This is a special one. It came Crucial time and also helped the team to win the series." - Axar PatelPrashanth S@ps_it_isIf he gets his batting right consistently, Axar can be priceless for India in a subcontinent world cup in the Thakur slot.354If he gets his batting right consistently, Axar can be priceless for India in a subcontinent world cup in the Thakur slot.Soumyadip Dutta@Soumyad87772934Bapu Axar patel has done it for INDIA What an innings What a player He grabbed the win from west indies .We lead the series by 2-0#WIvIND #CricketTwitter #AxarPatel7512Bapu 🔥🔥🔥Axar patel has done it for INDIA 🇮🇳What an innings What a player He grabbed the win from west indies .We lead the series by 2-0💙#WIvIND #CricketTwitter #AxarPatel https://t.co/ucmDxqOHvBPunjab Kings@PunjabKingsIPLAXAR PATEL HAS DONE IT!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!! WHAT A FINISH!!!!145568AXAR PATEL HAS DONE IT!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!! WHAT A FINISH!!!!Soumil@ralfnaziAxar Patel outbatting Hooda is not good signs. Hopefully Hooda can get his power game and timings right. twitter.com/criccrazyniks/…Nikhil 🏏@CricCrazyNIKSDeepak Hooda outbowling Axar Patel is not good signs. Hopefully Axar can get his pace and lengths right.46Deepak Hooda outbowling Axar Patel is not good signs. Hopefully Axar can get his pace and lengths right.Axar Patel outbatting Hooda is not good signs. Hopefully Hooda can get his power game and timings right. twitter.com/criccrazyniks/…Rhitankar Bandyopadhyay@rhitankar8616Indians to score unbeaten fifties while batting at 7 or lower positions in successful ODI run chases :-Md Kaif (87*) vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 at Lord's, 2002MS Dhoni (67*) vs at Harare, 2005Axar Patel (64*) vs 🏝️ at Port of Spain, today#WIvsIND8Indians to score unbeaten fifties while batting at 7 or lower positions in successful ODI run chases :-Md Kaif (87*) vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 at Lord's, 2002MS Dhoni (67*) vs 🇿🇼 at Harare, 2005Axar Patel (64*) vs 🏝️ at Port of Spain, today#WIvsINDShaan Waseem@shaanwaseem2Axar Patel's innings has come out of nowhere!Don't think anyone expected him to bat this well.#WIvIND7Axar Patel's innings has come out of nowhere!Don't think anyone expected him to bat this well.#WIvINDDr Khushboo 🇮🇳@khushbookadriAxar Patel Bapu What An Innings!!! Very Well Deserving Player Of The Match Award For Today’s Game #INDvWI894Axar Patel Bapu What An Innings!!! Very Well Deserving Player Of The Match Award For Today’s Game 👏👏👏👏👏#INDvWIShubh Aggarwal@shubh_chintakAxar Patel has shown great improvement in his batting since the New Zealand Tests last year. Now, that improvement is there for everyone to see with this knock. 64 off 35 balls when the chips were down. WHAT AN INNINGS! #WIvIND252Axar Patel has shown great improvement in his batting since the New Zealand Tests last year. Now, that improvement is there for everyone to see with this knock. 64 off 35 balls when the chips were down. WHAT AN INNINGS! 🙌 #WIvINDAspirant@dreamerupscno way axar patel has now won more odi matches with bat for India than jadeja has done in over 10 years133no way axar patel has now won more odi matches with bat for India than jadeja has done in over 10 yearsAxar Patel was smart enough to pick the bowlers he wanted to attackEarlier, Shreyas Iyer (63) and Sanju Samson (54) put up a 99-run stand to help India recover from 79/3. However, the duo departed in quick succession. India were still in the chase, but the probability of a win seemed to be diminishing.Deepak Hooda struggled to find the middle of the bat and it was important for India to take on left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein. Axar Patel did the job really well as he smashed a couple out of the ground to gave India's chase some much-needed momentum.Hooda and Shardul Thakur were guilty of losing their wickets to loose shots but their dismissals didn't faze Patel. He batted well with the tail and got a bit of help from debutant Avesh Khan, who smashed a couple of boundaries.Patel finally pumped Kyle Mayers straight down the ground with six needed off three balls to ensure that his maiden ODI half-century came in a winning cause.