India vs New Zealand, 1st Test: Can’t think that I am not a lead spinner in the eleven, says Axar Patel | Cricket News

It is very difficult to point out a poor match played by Axar Patel across formats. He has been the most consistent bowler whenever he has taken the field. Five five-wicket hauls in his first seven Test innings is a testimony to his consistency, albeit they have come in spinner-friendly home conditions.
He knows how to ‘keep it simple’ in its truest form. With Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja — two of India’s most prolific spinners in the last decade — in the playing XI, Axar ended the third day of the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur as the lead spinner.
It’s the first time he has bowled with both Ashwin and Jadeja. But one may recall he had out-bowled Ashwin in the England series at home earlier in the year. Yet, he doesn’t claim to be the lead spinner for India in Test cricket.

“I just enjoy myself when I am on the field. I don’t think there are two senior bowlers in Ash and Jaddu in the XI and I am not the lead spinner. I look at the surface and see what I need to do,” Axar said after the day’s play on Saturday.
“I have done well in first-class cricket and for India ‘A’. I never considered myself as a white-ball bowler. It’s all in the mind,” he added.
There was a marked improvement in the performance of the Indian spinners compared to the last session of the second day.

“Crease zyada use kiya. (I just used the crease more). I used the angles,” the left-arm spinner revealed.
Axar’s spell indicated that the pitch will be very tough to bat on. But he laid down a template for India’s batters.
“Our batters got the idea while we were talking on the field. The odd ball is misbehaving. Playing on the merit of the ball is very important. You need patience both as a batter and a bowler.”