'There was no chance to plan:' Axar Patel reveals how he was sent to bat at No.4 in IND vs PAK clash
While most of the Indian batters failed to impress and succumbed to Pakistani bowlers in arduous batting conditions, Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel stitched a game-changing partnership for the third wicket to provide some stability while batting. The duo added 39 runs, the highest-scoring pair in the game, and helped India recover from two early wickets.
Rishabh and Axar know each other and their games quite well, for they have played a lot of cricket together in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and complement each other well. It was visible again when they navigated through threats and formed a match-winning partnership against Pakistan in New York.
Talking about the experience of batting at No.4 on the official website of the BCCI, Axar Patel revealed he wasn’t planning for it and got to know about it very late. However, Rishabh Pant lightened his mood and eased the pressure off Axar by having fun with him in the middle.
“There was no chance to plan anything. When I went out to bat at No.4, it was easy because Rishabh Pant wasn’t talking about cricket with me. Pant was just having fun with me because he knew it would ease me a little, and he was telling me a few things after every ball. I also relaxed a bit while talking with him.”
IND vs Pak game, almost batting collapse situation but Rishabh Pant doing "Masti Majak" with Axar Patel 😭
— Sandy (@flamboypant) June 11, 2024
Never change my boy 😭🔥 pic.twitter.com/m4ifB1U3bB
I was just trying to keep things as simple as possible: Rishabh Pant
Later, Rishabh Pant also disclosed his thought process in the middle when India lost two big guns - Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli - early. While he acknowledged the pressure of the India vs Pakistan game, Pant said he was just trying to keep things simple and talked with Axar Patel to make things easier for both.
“There was not much going through my mind; it’s just that we were trying to keep things as simple as possible with a positive mindset because India vs Pakistan is always a pressure game. As Axar came in, who practised batting at No.3 or 4 throughout the IPL, I was also comfortable because of my mate (Axar). We comforted each other through continuous talks and didn’t think too much about the situation.”
Even while playing for Delhi Capitals (DC), Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel formed numerous quality partnerships. Playing at No.4 wasn’t new for Axar, given he has aced this role multiple times for DC.
Later, Axar Patel also bowled well to keep India in the game. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant was also agile and made no mistake behind the sticks.
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