On the eve of the second T20 International against New Zealand here, left-arm spinner Axar Patel on Friday said he doesn’t talk much to head coach Ravi Shastri on his bowling technique and revealed that the former India all-rounder only asks him to bowl stump to stump.
Axar felt his style of bowling is quite different from Shastri, who was a left-arm spinner himself during his playing days.
“I do not talk to him (Ravi) too much as he knows my bowling style is quite different, as compared to him. He does not suggest too many changes,” the Gujarat spinner told reporters in the pre-match presser.
“He says, you know you have come into the Indian team after having performed well, so just continue doing the same.
“He also often talks about the need to know about how to bowl in different pressure situations. He does not give me major advice, but asks me to bowl stump to stump,” he added.
Commenting on the role of spinners in the side, which also includes the wrist spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel said: “Wrist spinners can attack because they get more spin from the surface and it can be any surface. Their role is mostly to attack and take wickets in the middle overs.”
“Finger spinner’s role is to contain things. If there is no partnership, pressure cannot be created on the batsmen. So this is our planning,” he added.
Axar is someone who does not turn the ball much but rather depends on his unwavering line and length. It is the kind of bowling which helps him to pressurise the batsmen, and thus allow bowlers at the other end to take wickets.
Crediting skipper Virat Kohli for allowing him to bowl with a free mind, the tweaker said: “Obviously the captain backs you if you do well. I’ve been playing since the second ODI and he (Kohli) has been supporting me to bowl with a free mind.
“He allows you to bowl with a free mind and set the field accordingly. And if it doesn’t work out, he gives suggestions. Obviously you feel better and have a free mind if the captain backs you,” he added.
India are currently 1-0 up in the brief three-match series after thrashing the tourists in the opener at the Ferozshah Kotla by 53 runs on Tuesday.
Asked about his strategy going into the second game, which also gives India a very good opportunity to pocket the series, Axar said: “In the first ODI they had played the sweep shot really well. Their strategy in Mumbai was clear that they will sweep against the spinners.”
“For me the strategy was to employ an angle be it over the wicket or around the wicket. And to mix things up, push a full delivery or a shorter delivery. That is how we had planned things.
On playing at his home ground, Axar is confident of how the pitch behaves and hoped that his inputs will help the team during the encounter.
“This is my home crowd and I know what kind of wicket there is here and the pitch as well. Mostly the focus will be on repeating what I do in the IPL also. I know and judge how the wicket is behaving and bowl accordingly.
“There is little turn on offer, the ball does skid and there is less bounce. I will work on bowling well and can suggest to my teammates also,” he said.