Emerging in New Zealand: Axar Patel as the anchor spinner
A pairing with Washington Sundar still in the offing, Patel could be key to India’s middle-overs fortunes in next year’s ODI World Cup.
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For much of his career, Axar Patel has lived in the shadow of Ravindra Jadeja. The comparison was inevitable. He was, by all means, the closest India had to a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja. But as India begin shaping their plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, that description is set to get an upgrade.
Axar isn’t simply being groomed to take Jadeja's place, Patel could be asked to anchor India’s slow bowling attack in the World Cup.
Jadeja’s omission has already prompted talk of a changing philosophy. India appear increasingly attracted to the prospect of a spin attack built around containment rather than sustained aggression. Patel operating alongside Washington Sundar — both are capable of squeezing opposition batters through the middle overs — rather than relying on Kuldeep Yadav as the principal attacking threat seems to be emerging as a logical strategy.
South Africa in October and November is unlikely to offer pitches where spinners would get grip and turn. Pace, bounce and carry could make fast bowling the primary weapon, particularly in the early stages of an innings. The value of a spinner, therefore, may lie less in extracting turn and more in denying batters freedom. This is where Axar’s strengths become important.
Like Jadeja, his bowling too has always been built around accuracy, a skiddy trajectory and the ability to maintain a relentless line. He doesn’t need turn to be effective. By attacking the stumps and denying batters room, he can make scoring difficult even when the pitch offers little encouragement. And though the sample size isn’t large, the ongoing New Zealand ODI series — Axar is the only spinner used by India so far — has provided an interesting illustration of that.
Axar returned figures of 0/12 from five overs in Auckland and 2/28 in nine overs in Wellington. Across the two completed matches, that works out to 40 runs at an economy rate of 2.86 and a bowling average of 20. These are encouraging numbers, particularly given that conditions in New Zealand, like South Africa, aren’t designed to reward spin bowling.
There is an important distinction between the two performances. In Auckland, Axar was primarily a restrictive presence, allowing the seamers to operate around him without the opposition being able to exploit his overs. In Wellington, he demonstrated that the defensive approach need not mean an absence of wickets. His dismissal of Daryl Mitchell was particularly valuable because it removed the one batter who looked settled.
With only two ODIs possible in New Zealand till date, Patel’s effectiveness is yet to be entirely ascertained. But the indications are quite revealing.
Jadeja’s value was never confined to his bowling. He could score quickly and provide India with an additional frontline bowling option, apart from fielding like a superhuman. But at this stage of his career, the selectors appear to be looking beyond reputation and past achievements. Minus the scintillating fielding — though Patel has a safe pair of hands as well — he offers a younger alternative without necessarily reproducing everything Jadeja did.
The possible partnership with Washington is an intriguing subplot. Washington's off-spin brings an added dimension, and his batting can strengthen the lower middle order. Together, the two could give India some leverage in the middle overs, particularly against teams looking to consolidate after the Powerplay. However, the team management is yet to see returns from pushing Axar to No.5, ahead of KL Rahul — 0 and 7 in the first two ODIs.
If Axar settles down in his bowling role, it would also allow India to retain Kuldeep as a tactical alternative rather than making him the automatic choice. That isn’t necessarily a reflection of diminished faith in Kuldeep's ability. His capacity to take wickets through the middle overs remains a significant asset. But in South Africa, the risk-reward calculation could change drastically.
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The downside of this strategy is that India could risk looking too conservative. World Cups are not won simply by preventing opposition teams from scoring but by taking wickets at key junctures. But considering how the one-day game is riding the wave of 350-plus scores right now, restrictive bowling could also prove an attacking ploy. Axar's challenge would be to establish that he can stem the run flow as well as provide breakthroughs when needed.
His batting — particularly the six-hitting frequency—will also need attention. The New Zealand series has offered little evidence of Axar’s ability to influence the middle order, and the absence of Jadeja makes that contribution more relevant.
India can’t afford to replace one allrounder with another and then discover that the batting balance has weakened. But they also have enough time to experiment. The emerging picture is unmistakable though. Axar is being positioned as a quasi-defensive spin bowling anchor, with the New Zealand tour offering an early indication of the responsibilities that could come with that elevation.
