3 factors necessitating inclusion of Axar Patel in 2nd Test against West Indies
The second Test against West Indies at Queen’s Park Oval is an opportunity for India to switch things up and bring in left-arm spinner Axar Patel. Even though they won the first Test by a massive margin of an innings and 141 runs, they should consider making a change to continue their dominance.
Team India has a history of sticking to their winning strategy, even when it’s not the best approach for a particular game. This inflexibility sometimes backfires, as demonstrated in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia.
India had enjoyed success with an attack of four fast bowlers plus Ravindra Jadeja in England in 2021 but lost the WTC final when they stuck to it and Ravichandran Ashwin was needed instead of a pacer.
The second Test against West Indies at Queen’s Park Oval is an opportunity for India to switch things up and bring in left-arm spinner Axar Patel. Even though they won the first Test by a massive margin of an innings and 141 runs, they should consider making a change to continue their dominance.
Patel’s inclusion, who has a good track record in the subcontinent, would provide variety to the Indian bowling attack, which is heavily reliant on pacers.
Queen’s Park Oval is historically spinners-friendly
Bishan Singh Bedi, India’s top left-arm spinner in West Indies, picked up most of his 33 wickets at Queen’s Park Oval. He averaged at least 35 at the other three venues but here, he picked up a wicket for every 28.16 runs.
His only fifer also came at the venue. Anil Kumble, India’s best spinner in West Indies, took his second fifer at the venue. S Venkataraghavan, India’s second-most successful spinner in West Indies, claimed 19 out of his 39 wickets at the venue, including his only five-wicket haul.
The ground is a spin haven, and Rohit Sharma should take advantage of it by picking a lineup he would choose for Indian conditions: Ashwin, Jadeja, Patel, Mohammed Siraj, and Jaydev Unadkat.
Shardul Thakur was barely used in the first Test
Dropping Shardul Thakur after just one Test may seem harsh, but successful teams prioritize tactics over players. Australia and England did the same before their respective Tests. The players understand that it’s not about distrust, but tactics.
Thakur bowled only seven overs in the first innings, didn’t bat, and didn’t bowl in the second innings. Instead, the visitors should trust Axar Patel on a spin-friendly surface and use all three spinners in tandem. In the first Test, 15 of the 20 wickets fell to spin, and every West Indian batter, except Alick Athanaze, struggled against Ashwin and Jadeja.
Axar Patel has been in brilliant form for India
Axar Patel is in superb form and replacing him with Shardul Thakur will be an upgrade for spin-friendly conditions in both batting and bowling. In the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, Axar was the third-highest run-scorer and averaged 88.00. He will add more value on the bowling front in favorable conditions, allowing the visitors to go for the kill. Trying Axar in overseas conditions will also be a good opportunity, especially with Ashwin and Jadeja nearing the final phases of their career.
