Akshar Patel on Sunday (December 5) termed the year 2021 as the dream one for him as the left-arm spinner scripted India’s Test series wins against teams like England and New Zealand.

Earlier this year, Akshar picked up 27 wickets in three Tests against England at home while he claimed nine scalps in two Tests versus New Zealand.

“Actually, this has been my dream year you can say. The way I bowled in England series and now how the New Zealand series panned out, in between there was IPL so I can say that this has really been a good year for me personally,” Patel said in the virtual press conference after stumps on Day 3 of the Mumbai Test against New Zealand.

“My endeavour is to keep improving and look at areas where I need to get better. All the hardwork that I have put in all these years have finally yielded results this year,” he added.

Akshar registered scores of 3, 28*, 52, and 41 in the two Tests against the Kiwis, vindicating his ability as an all-round cricketer.

“The batting coach (Vicky Rathour) and team management has faith in my batting abilities, and they have always told me that ‘you can do it’. Earlier, when I got chances, I couldn’t convert my starts but this time when I got chances, I was able to convert.

“My batting is benefitting my team and if you see that myself, Jaddu and Ash bhai play as all-rounders, it releases a bit of pressure on our batters, so its a good sign. As long as I keep contributing it’s good for both me and my team,” he stated.

But with the South Africa tour around the corner, Akshar Patel knows that he might have to sit out and he is ready to bide his time.

“Team management discusses with us and they tell us whether we fit in team combination or not. Whatever is priority for team is done and we just tell ourselves that we should focus on our routines and how we can keep improving,” he said.

India batted for 70 overs before declaring their second innings on 276/7 in the Mumbai Test, setting an improbable target of 540 for the BlackCaps in the last essay.

Talking about India’s declaration, Akshar said: “I won’t call it a delay (in declaration) as there is so much time left in the game. The idea was to bat as long as possible as this kind of a situation, you don’t get everyday, so the plan was to make the most of it.”

“We were trying to explore various options and check out what if we have to chase on this kind of a track on the last day, trying to express ourselves in a different situation,” he further added.

(With PTI inputs)