"You can easily go into a negative space" - Star player's massive take on competing with Ravindra Jadeja ahead of IND vs SA 2025 1st Test

Team India all-rounder Axar Patel dismissed any competition with fellow left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja ahead of the home Test series against Australia. After often warming the bench in the early part of his career, Axar has become India's go-to spin-bowling all-rounder in the white-ball formats, ahead of Jadeja.

However, despite an excellent Test record, the 31-year-old continues to miss out on the playing XI, owing to team balance.

Talking about the importance of acceptance and patience, Axar said in a recent interview (via Hindustan Times):

"You have to be patient, basically. The more calm you can keep yourself, the better for you. There will always be competition when you are playing for India. Acceptance, that you will have to wait it out, is important. ou can easily go into a negative space and start using it as an excuse…’why am I not in the team despite doing well?’. My motivation would always be... how to come back in the team and make an immediate impact."

Reflecting on his competition for a lone spot, often with Jadeja, Axar said:

"Once we started playing together, things began to work. We may be both left-arm spinners but I bowl in the powerplay and at the death, he bowls in the middle overs. Our wrist position and point of release is different. Obviously, he’s a great all-rounder. I speak with him about mindset. He’s asked me to work on consistency, maintaining my body and how to be ready to bat in any situation."

Axar and Jadeja were regularly part of the Indian playing XI during their triumphant 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. Jadeja has retired from T20Is but remains active in the other two formats.

"I don’t believe in match-ups too much" - Axar Patel

Axar Patel admitted to not focusing too much on matchups, a trend that has become increasingly prevalent, especially in the T20 format. Among the several common themes, avoiding bowling a left-arm spinner to a left-hander has almost become a thumb rule for captains in the shortest format.

Talking about the same, Axar said (via the aforementioned source):

"It’s become a trend, but I don’t believe in match-ups too much. If the batter (of unfavourable match-up) plays a big shot, you also get a chance to get him out. If you have runs to play with, you can take a risk. You also have to look at whether he is the best bowler in your team. After all, you have to play with skills and the mindset. Obviously, if the pitch is doing nothing, I won’t expose the left-arm spinner to the left-hander."

Axar played in all three ODIs and five T20Is in the most recent white-ball tour of Australia, finishing with a combined 120 runs and five wickets. The Men in Blue lost the ODI series 1-2 but bounced back to win the T20Is by the same margin.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran