Axar Patel has spent much of his India career playing second fiddle — first to Ravindra Jadeja, more recently to critics questioning his T20I form. On Tuesday at Edgbaston, the low-key all-rounder answered every doubt in one match, playing alongside Virat Kohli in the XI and drawing on lessons learned years earlier from MS Dhoni.
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The Match-Winning Performance
Batting first, England were bowled out for 258, undone largely by Axar’s disciplined left-arm spin, which returned figures of 4/62 — his best-ever ODI numbers. Chasing 259, India wobbled to 160/4 after Kohli fell early for 5, before Axar walked in and stitched together an unbroken 102-run stand with Washington Sundar, finishing unbeaten on 57 to seal a six-wicket win.
Joining An Elite List
The all-round effort made Axar only the sixth Indian man to score a fifty and take four or more wickets in the same men’s ODI — a list that includes Kris Srikkanth, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly (twice), Yuvraj Singh (twice), and Hardik Pandya, whom Axar has now matched by achieving the feat against England as well.
The Dhoni Factor
Axar has often credited MS Dhoni as a formative influence, recalling how the former captain personally counselled him through lean years when he struggled for a settled spot in the side. That patience-first mindset was on full display at Edgbaston, as Axar absorbed pressure from a hostile Jofra Archer spell before cutting loose.
Silent No More
Named Player of the Match, Axar also helped India seal their sixth straight ODI win over England — their best such streak in the format. For a cricketer often described as understated, it was a night that spoke volumes, with India taking a 1-0 series lead.
