Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Axar Patel’s angle makes him arduous to line up, says Shane Watson

Shane Watson stated that going through Axar Patel is not going to be straightforward for Australia within the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, beginning February 9.

New Delhi ,UPDATED: Feb 5, 2023 21:45 IST

Shane Watson says Axar Patel will probably be a menace for Australia. (Photo: PTI)

By India Today Web Desk: Former Australia cricketer stated that India left-arm spinner Axar Patel’s angle will make issues tough for the visiting Australian facet within the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy will start on February 9 as India gear as much as host Australia for 4 Tests. Ahead of the sequence, Watson stated that it might be difficult for Australia as Patel bowls on the stumps on a regular basis.

“Axar’s angle is what makes him really hard to line up,” Watson informed ESPNcricinfo. “I didn’t face him in Test cricket but I always found him really difficult to play even in T20 cricket because of his release point.

“He’s not low spherical arm, however he is spherical arm and he bowls from fairly vast on the crease, and with the angle that the ball is available in I used to be by no means capable of actually line it up. And then if the ball is popping it simply looks as if the ball is popping much more due to the angle.”

Watson added that Patel bowls from wide to crease and is quite different from Ravindra Jadeja.

“It’s totally different to Jadeja as a result of Jadeja is often a bit nearer to the stumps and he does not create as a lot angle with the ball coming into the right-hander from his launch level,” the former cricketer said.

“Axar is on the stumps on a regular basis. It’s going to be fairly difficult. He’s a good bit taller and his launch level remains to be fairly excessive. But you do not really feel like his bounce is a menace as a lot as a result of he does get balls to skid by means of.

“The guys playing are going to have to get used to that angle and find a way to be able to line that up. Once the guys line it up they’ll be okay, but it can take a bit of time to work that out,” Watson added.

Published On:

Feb 5, 2023