Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has showered praise on Axar Patel’s stunning fielding effort in the second semifinal against England at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Thursday. England skipper Harry Brook was outfoxed by a slower delivery from Jasprit Bumrah but Patel ran 24 meters back to take a brilliant diving catch. Catches over the head are never easy but Patel was able to keep his calm.
Brook was in fine form and thus it was a big wicket for the home team. Furthermore, Patel took another superb diving catch of Will Jacks before relaying it to Shivam Dube at deep point.
Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube Channel, “But the catch of Harry Brook was the catch of the match for me. When you run backwards, you will notice that your brain gets disoriented. When you run in that position, your vision shifts, your head turns, and your eyes often lose sight of the ball. But there was not even a moment when it felt like Axar Patel would drop that catch. He was completely in control while running. He ran so well under control, and when the ball was about to come down, he even took a slight pause before completing the catch. It was an outstanding fielding effort. It was truly a masterclass in fielding.
“He did not even remove his cap. Usually, when you run backwards like that, many players throw their cap away. But he tilted his neck back so that he could keep the ball in sight. When the ball comes from behind, the front part of the cap can make it difficult to see it clearly. Despite that, he lifted his neck high and ran with perfect timing to get under the ball. Watching that moment, it almost felt like this could be the catch of the World Cup,” he added.
Pathan also hailed Axar Patel for showing the control in his feet when he took Will Jacks’ catch. As the momentum was taking Patel over the boundary rope, he relayed the ball to Shivam Dube, who completed a simple catch.
“This is the same Indian team that dropped 12 catches in this World Cup, and then Axar Patel comes in and takes two incredible match-winning catches. Look, one of those catches was Will Jacks’, and that was not easy at all. He plays well on the off side near the boundary line, and the way Axar ran to take that catch while keeping his momentum under control was remarkable. After taking the catch, you also need the presence of mind and patience to throw the ball back to your teammate because your momentum is carrying you forward. The control he showed with his feet during that catch was outstanding.”
India will take on New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Sunday.
