Showering praise on Axar Patel, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has said that the former was the best bowler in the third Test between India and England, which the hosts won by 10 wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium last week.
Speaking exclusively on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected, Harbhajan said: “At the beginning of our journey, the spinners are taught to hit the stump — the ball should hit the stump after the spin. If the wicket has spin then the bowler needs to judge how much spin is required, and if you’re missing the stumps constantly then it’s the bowler’s fault. If there is a spinning track or any other track, there is always a challenge to bowl.”
“The most difficult balls were the ones where the batsman had to face with the bat and I believe Axar Patel was the best bowler in this game because the batsman had to play every ball and Axar himself didn’t know whether the ball will spin or not,” he added.
Significantly, Axar had scalped 11 wickets in the third Test and helped the Virat Lohli-led side to take a 2-1 lead in the four match series.
The fourth and final contest of the series will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium from Thursday.