Ahead of the crucial Test tour of England next month, India left-arm spinner Akshar Patel on Thursday (May 27) said that the English batsmen don't read deliveries from his hand and they go by where it's pitched, saying they could be trouble by bowling stump-to-stump.
Recently, the spinner had a memorable Test series against England at home, taking 27 wickets in three Tests to help Team India clinch the series in March 2021.
Well, Patel is now set to tour England for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand starting on June 18 at Southampton followed by a five-match Test series against the hosts in August-September.
Patel told Indian Express on Thursday, “If they are in doubt whether it's spinning or not, they just play sweeps and reverse-sweeps. If one bowls stump-to-stump, then it gets tough for them but if the ball is pitched outside off-stump or leg-stump they go for the sweep. They don't read the ball from my hand, instead, they go by where it's pitched.”
However, the Gujarat cricketer has insisted that he wasn't lacking anything, but it was the performances of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja and the team combination that didn’t allow him to break into India’s Test squad over the years, saying he never got frustrated over overlooking.
The spinner further added, “I don't feel I was lacking anything. Unfortunately, I was injured and lost my place in the ODIs. In Tests, [Ravindra] Jadeja and [Ravichandran] Ashwin was doing well.
The way Jadeja was performing, it was very hard for any other left-arm spin all-rounder to find a place. The wrist spinners - Kuldeep [Yadav] and [Yuzvendra] Chahal - were doing well. It was due to the team combination that I was out. When I got a chance, I just tried to prove myself.”
The 27-year-old Patel continued, “I don't get easily frustrated. I was part of India A side and was in the scheme of things. It was about grabbing my chances. There were days when I did get frustrated. I was doing well but was not finding a place.
But there are many players who are performing in domestic cricket but can't get a break because players in the Indian team are performing well. It is important to wait for your time and when a chance comes, just grab it.”
Akshar also said he is different from other spinners as he bowls quicker and with pace while saying he always tries to improve his bowling and looks for inputs from the others.
He signed off by saying, “I don't think much, I have played in all conditions. It depends on how consistent I'm. My bowling is different from others, I bowl with pace and bowl quicker ones. I can add that ball that can spin and I'm practicing it. Whenever I meet any senior player, be it Anil Bhai [Kumble] or Ashwin, I ask them what more I can do. I take inputs and try to improve my bowling.”
(With IANS Inputs)
