Axar Patel: I was not worried about making a comeback to the team

Back in the Indian team after almost seven months, left-arm spinner Axar Patel played a crucial part in India’s nine wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first ODI at Dambulla on Sunday

Axar Patel. Pic/ AFP

Back in the Indian team after almost seven months, left-arm spinner Axar Patel played a crucial part in India’s nine wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first ODI at Dambulla on Sunday.

Axar (3-34) came to bowl at a crucial stage when the Lankans were going good and he not only restricted them but also picked wickets at regular interval to restrict the hosts to just 216.

Shikhar Dhawan then started from where he left in the Test series and went on to score a 90-ball unbeaten 132 and added 197 runs for the unbroken second wicket with

Virat Kohli (82*) to win the contest by the 29th over. Later, talking to his Gujarat Ranji teammate Jasprit Bumrah in a ‘mock interview’ on bcci.tv the southpaw said that there is a new energy in the team and he believes that this squad has the ability to win the 2019 World Cup.

“This team is full of youngsters, in the average age group of 26-27, so you can see that there is a lot of energy, enthusiasm and exuberance of youth, there is also a great camaraderie that players have among them.

‘India can win 2019 WC’ “Atthe same time, I would also like to add that everybody is playing well and contributing to the team’s cause in every possible way. So, looking ahead, I can very well say that this team has the ability to win the 2019 World Cup,” said Axar.

“I was really happy to see (Shikhar) Dhawan score and he deserves the man-of-the match. It feels good when the entire team is performing to their level best in every department, and are not dependent on individuals,” added the left-arm spinner who was not worried about making a comeback.

‘Happy to be back’ “I am really happy to be back in the team and frankly speaking, I was not at all worried about making a comeback. I just thought that I would continue the same way as I used to perform earlier when playing for India.

“So, I planned to contain the Sri Lankan batsmen as they were scoring at a high rate and also get into a rhythm by the second over and then go for wickets. But when I got my first wicket in the second over, I was very thrilled,” Axar, 23, explained.

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