Chennai, February 24 Axar Patel spending nearly 30 minutes honing his left-arm spin skills at the nets is not uncommon, but the questions surrounding his possible return to the playing eleven for India's must-win game against Zimbabwe add significance to the situation.
Axar was benched in favor of Washington Sundar during the previous match against South Africa in Ahmedabad, causing both fans and pundits to raise concerns.
From a cricketing perspective, this was a reasonable decision, as the management wanted to use Sundar's off-spin against two powerful South African left-handed batsmen – Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton – during the Power Play.
However, the strategy, which heavily relied on match-up calculations, failed to materialize as Jasprit Bumrah accounted for both de Kock and Rickelton during the Power Play phase.
India's assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, had hinted at this possibility.
"We spent so much time debating the 11. I guess the only way that it didn't work out for us is if we had the ideal start like we did today, getting de Kock and Rickelton out so early. We were more focused on the matchups in the middle. And then, of course, someone has to give way," Doeschate had said after India's 76-run defeat against the Proteas.
This result has made India's remaining Super Eights matches must-win, with the first being against Zimbabwe here on Thursday.
Zimbabwe also has two left-handed batsmen in their top order – opener Tadi Marumani and Ryan Burl at No. 4.
Therefore, will Washington be able to maintain his place in the eleven? Or will Axar make a return, potentially displacing Washington?
The unavailability of Rinku Singh gives the team management the opportunity to bring back Axar without sacrificing Washington, but they also have the option of drafting Kuldeep Yadav.
However, beyond the calculations, Axar should be a guaranteed pick for the Super Eights and beyond due to his ability to target stumps.
He is a reliable bowler, as his six wickets from three matches have come at an average of 12.16 and an economy rate of 6.63.
Pitch conditions
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The Chepauk pitch for the match against Zimbabwe is expected to be a mix of red and black, with the latter dominating.
Therefore, the pitch could offer the batsmen the freedom to play their shots, increasing the value of Axar's consistent skills.
Even head coach Gautam Gambhir had asserted that team selection is not entirely based on numbers, but on the value each player brings to the table.
"We don't look at averages and stats. We look at who can deliver more at that particular number. And Axar has performed exceptionally well. There will always be people talking about it, but I think that's the way we want to go in the future as well," he had said.
Gambhir's statement perfectly reflects the current situation.