Axar Patel’s performance during the powerplay was instrumental in securing India’s dominant victory over England. The left-arm spinner emphasized that simplicity was his strategy, which effectively troubled the opposing batters without doing anything extraordinary. Entering to bowl in the fourth over, Axar (3/23) immediately dismissed England captain Jos Buttler on his first delivery. He then went on to remove Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali in successive overs, significantly hindering England’s chase as they were bowled out for 103 while attempting to reach a target of 172 in the T20 World Cup semifinals on Thursday.
Bowling during the powerplay is challenging, but when you receive assistance from the pitch, maintaining a simple approach makes it easier, Axar explained at the post-match press conference. We discussed in the dressing room that it wasn’t an easy wicket for batting. I anticipated that batsmen would attack me, knowing it would be tough for them to hit down the ground or off the back foot due to inconsistent bounce.
Axar’s strategy involved complicating matters for the batters and forcing them into playing unconventional shots. This plan bore fruit immediately as Buttler attempted a reverse-sweep on Axar’s first ball from around the wicket but ended up giving a simple catch to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
I didn’t expect a wicket with my first ball; my goal was just to bowl accurately, said Axar, who earned Player-of-the-Match honors. In knockout games, starting and finishing well are crucial.
India posted 171 for 7 after being asked to bat first, and according to Axar, they were confident about defending this total given their understanding of pitch conditions.
- In a post-match report, it was noted that a score of 170 was considered par and defendable. Rohit mentioned after his innings that hitting big shots was challenging due to the pitch conditions; the occasional ball spun, stayed low, and skidded. When we reached 170, we felt we had an additional 10-15 runs which could be defended. Batting at number eight, Axar contributed a six during his brief 10-run stint and shared insights on the pitch behavior as pacers resorted to slower deliveries in the final overs. From my batting experience, I understood what strategies might work and what wouldn’t. During my turn at bat, slower balls were prevalent and they weren’t coming at the desired speed, making it difficult to connect properly. Providing pace would have played into their hands. It was crucial to target good areas for hitting. He also highlighted the pressure factor in chasing totals on a bowler-friendly wicket. Openers or top-order batsmen aim to maximize powerplay opportunities but this strategy didn’t succeed in this instance.
