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[Saba Sports News] Indian all-rounder Axar Patel played a pivotal role in clinching the five-match T20I series against Australia in Raipur on December 01. He delivered an impressive 3/16 in the fourth T20I, taking crucial wickets of Travis Head, Ben McDermott, and Aaron Hardie, which significantly hampered Australia’s chase. His performance limited the Matthew Wade-led Australian team to 154/7 in 20 overs, leading India to a 20-run victory.
Post-match, Patel reflected on the frustration of missing the ODI World Cup 2023 due to injury. Speaking to Times of India, he shared his initial disappointment, particularly as the World Cup was hosted in India. He spent the first few days post-injury pondering over the missed opportunity but soon returned to training and rehab.
“Obviously, you are bound to be disappointed. The World Cup was in India, but that injury happened. For the first few days, I was thinking about it, not being able to play due to injury. The team was doing well, so after 5-10 days, I was back to training and was doing my rehab,” Patel shared.
Patel, originally in the preliminary ODI World Cup squad, was sidelined by a left quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup 2023, leading to Ravichandran Ashwin being named as his replacement. Despite this setback, Patel has made a strong comeback in international cricket, becoming the second-highest wicket-taker in the ongoing T20I series against Australia, with five wickets in four matches.
He also spoke about the mental and physical challenges of returning from injury, emphasizing the caution he exercises to protect the injured part of his body. Looking ahead, Patel aims to maintain his impressive form to secure a spot in the T20 World Cup 2024, set to take place in the West Indies and the USA.
“When you come from injury, you try to keep that part of the body safe. You are not able to give your full effort. It stays in the back of my mind,” he added.