Following Team India’s victory in the fifth Test match against England, head coach Rahul Dravid shared a nostalgic moment from the dressing room. Rahul Dravid praised Axar Patel’s batting skills and compared him to former Indian batsman VVS Laxman.
The Indian team secured an innings and 64-run victory at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday, March 9. The home team continued its dominance in the home test matches, securing the series victory by a 4-1 margin.
The Rohit Sharma-led team retained its first place in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25. The Men in Blue achieved victories in six of the nine games of the current cycle. They have a points percentage of 68.51, which increases their chances of reaching another final.
Axar Patel is a charming player – Rahul Dravid
Speaking after the match, Rahul Dravid said that he and his assistant Vikram Rathore remembered VVS Laxman when they watched Axar Patel coming out to bat at No. 6 in the second Test in Visakhapatnam.
“When I saw Axar Patel come out at number 6 [in Visakhapatnam]I remember looking at Vikram [Rathour, batting coach] And I thought, geez, VVS Laxman used to come out in that position (laughs). I mean, with all due respect to Axar: he’s a lovely guy, a lovely player,” Dravid said.
After the first loss in the Test, India faced challenges due to the absence of key players Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul. Axar Patel moved up the batting order in the second game. The left-hander contributed scores of 27 and 45 runs in the two innings.
VVS Laxman batted predominantly at 5 and 6 for most of his Test career. The right-handed batsman scored 2760 runs at the No. 6 position at an impressive average of 50.18, including five centuries and 12 half-centuries.
It was the bravest choice to choose Kuldeep Yadav – Rahul Dravid
“But it was the bravest option [to pick Kuldeep] and yes, we had to take a call there, and I’m so glad we were brave. We took the braver option when we decided to back the fact that we knew we needed 20 wickets to win the series and trust our batsmen to do the job when needed, and I think that paid off,” Dravid added.
Kuldeep Yadav was included in the playing XI in the second Test, replacing the injured Ravindra Jadeja. Kuldeep grabbed the opportunity and bagged 19 wickets in four Tests at an average of 20.16. He was India’s second highest wicket-taker in this series.
The left-arm spinner produced his best performance during the fifth Test in Dharamshala. The 29-year-old took five wickets for 72 runs as England were bowled out for just 218 runs in the first innings. Kuldeep was named Player of the Match for his seven wickets.
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