‘Tempting but Risky’: Zaheer Khan on India Persisting with Axar Patel at No. 5

Zaheer Khan questioned India’s decision to keep Axar Patel at No. 5 despite his consistent performances, warning that the move could backfire.

Former India pacer Zaheer Khan questioned the team management’s continued use of Axar Patel at No. 5 after the second ODI against Australia in Adelaide. Though he acknowledged Axar’s consistency, Zaheer remained unsure about the long-term plan behind the move.

Axar, 31, impressed again with a 41-ball 44, following his 38-ball 31 in the series opener. He has now batted at No. 5 eleven times in ODIs, averaging nearly 36 with a strike rate of 89.50. The left-hander’s knock helped India post 264/9 in their 50 overs.

Zaheer noted that while Axar’s form strengthens his case, the approach could disrupt India’s middle-order balance if not managed carefully.

“It’s questionable if you want to continue with that. But Axar is producing results there, so the temptation is always going to be there. He has been very consistent in whatever opportunities he has had. He looks to be very comfortable in playing that role and showed today also that he’s growing in confidence in that position. The think tank has been pushing for this, having a left-hander to tackle the spinners in the middle,” he told Cricbuzz.

Concerns Over KL Rahul’s Limited Opportunities at No. 6

Zaheer Khan then urged India’s team management to reassess their strategy of promoting Axar Patel higher in the batting order to maintain a left-right combination. The former pacer felt that this approach might affect established batters like KL Rahul, forcing them to alter their natural game.

READ ALSO | ‘Missed Out on a Big One’: Shubman Gill on Rohit Sharma’s Knock vs Australia

“How do you weigh that kind of a middle order position? That’s the question the think tank needs to ask themselves. If KL Rahul is given more deliveries to face, what impact will he bring or even Nitish Reddy for that matter? It can also counterproduce what they are trying to achieve, like today when Washington Sundar and Axar were together, the Australian skipper bowled the off-spinner,” Zaheer said.

“Sometimes when you do these tactics, the main batter will be left with lesser deliveries. So he’ll have to alter his game and approach and that is something you’ll have to think about tactically – if you want to continue with this kind of thought process,” he concluded.

In the second match, Australia sealed the win with just under 4 overs remaining, finishing at 265/8. Despite strong batting performances from Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and Axar Patel, India’s efforts fell short. Matthew Short’s 74 and Cooper Connolly’s 61* proved decisive for Australia.