The 1st T20I between India and Afghanistan in Mohali was played under the rarest circumstances. With the temperature dipping to 7 degrees, players of India and Afghanistan played under freezing conditions at the PCA Stadium. Most of the players were ready in full sleeves aided by sweaters, while the support staff were decked up with puffer jackets, hoodies, and beanies. Towards the end, a layer of fog began to engulf the stadium… that’s how cold it was throughout Thursday. Even captain Rohit Sharma admitted it was the coldest conditions he’s ever experienced in a match.
Having said that, the cold conditions did assist India when they were bowling in the first innings, especially for Axar Patel. The left-arm spinner was able to make the ball skid through the surface quicker and was rewarded with 2/23. Axar, whose video of asking the support staff ‘Dekho, temperature kitna hai?’ summed up what every Indian cricketer was going through, revealed that he attempted to talk the umpire into letting the players wear gloves, only to have it turned down by the official.
“I wasn’t feeling the ball, it was very cold. We knew it was winter and would be cold, but I was only thinking about my bowling, how to put pressure on them. There was a lot of dew, but I focused on my accuracy. (Maine umpire se poocha tha ki main ek haath me gloves pehen ke bowling kar lu, lekin unhone mana kar dia) I had asked the umpire if I can wear a glove in one hand, but he said no,” he added.
Axar on his recovery post injury
In September, Axar did some damage to his quadricep, which ended up being so severe that it cost him the World Cup. But having gone through the grind at the NCA, the all-rounder is back. He returned in the five T20I series against Australia where he picked six wickets and scored 31 runs from three innings. He played in two out of the three ODIs against South Africa, returning one wicket. With only two T20Is remaining before the T20 World Cup, Axar is determined to be fully prepared and in prime form during the upcoming IPL. While he was away, Axar dwelled on the slight tweaks he’s implemented in his bowling which promise to make it more effective.
“It was an unfortunate injury, but it was not the first time I was injured. My mindset during the rehab is how I can improve my game. In the NCA, I worked a lot on my bowling. I have worked consciously to add 5 to 10 percent in my bowling. Against Australia, I have started varying my pace and started using the crease. As a left-arm spinner, you don’t have much variation, I can’t bowl googlies like a leg-spinner. I am not thinking about the economy anymore. My mindset is how can I attack more. I have got the confidence… more about taking wickets than bowling economically,” Axar said during the post-match press conference.
Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
