Shane Watson said that facing Axar Patel will not be easy for Australia in the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting February 9.
New Delhi ,UPDATED: Feb 5, 2023 21:45 IST
Shane Watson says Axar Patel will be a threat for Australia. (Photo: PTI)
By India Today Web Desk: Former Australia cricketer said that India left-arm spinner Axar Patel’s angle will make things difficult for the visiting Australian side in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy will begin on February 9 as India gear up to host Australia for four Tests. Ahead of the series, Watson said that it would be challenging for Australia as Patel bowls at the stumps all the time.
“Axar’s angle is what makes him really hard to line up,” Watson told ESPNcricinfo. “I didn’t face him in Test cricket but I always found him really difficult to play even in T20 cricket because of his release point.
“He’s not low round arm, but he’s round arm and he bowls from quite wide on the crease, and with the angle that the ball comes in I was never able to really line it up. And then if the ball is turning it just seems like the ball is turning a lot more because of the angle.”
Watson added that Patel bowls from wide to crease and is quite different from Ravindra Jadeja.
“It’s different to Jadeja because Jadeja is normally a bit closer to the stumps and he doesn’t create as much angle with the ball coming into the right-hander from his release point,” the former cricketer said.
“Axar is at the stumps all the time. It’s going to be pretty challenging. He’s a fair bit taller and his release point is still pretty high. But you don’t feel like his bounce is a threat as much because he does get balls to skid through.
“The guys playing are going to have to get used to that angle and find a way to be able to line that up. Once the guys line it up they’ll be okay, but it can take a bit of time to work that out,” Watson added.
