Indian all-rounder Axar Patel said that IPL experience helped him play a match-winning knock against West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad on Sunday. Patel played a match-winning unbeaten knock of 64 runs to help India chase down 312 runs with two wickets and two balls to spare.
West Indies posted a par score of 311 runs after Nicholas Pooran won the toss and decided to bat first. Shai Hope continued his love affair of scoring runs against India as the flamboyant batter scored a fine hundred in his 100th ODI appearance.
Furthermore, Nicholas Pooran contributed with 74 runs to help the hosts get past the 300-run mark.
On the other hand, India got off to a poor start as Shikhar Dhawan could not get going in the run-chase. India soon found themselves reeling at 79-3 after Suryakumar Yadav once again chopped the ball back onto the stumps.
However, Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson revived India’s chase as they added 99 runs for the fourth wicket. Iyer scored 63 while Samson scored his maiden ODI fifty. But the visitors kept losing wickets at regular intervals and they had their work cut out.
However, Axar Patel was able to hit the ground running as he scored an unbeaten knock 35-ball 64, which was his first ODI fifty. Patel kept his nerves and got the team over the line to help the tourists take an impregnable lead of 2-0.
Axar Patel was awarded the Player of the Match for his fine knock and taking one wicket.
Patel said in the post-match presentation, “I think this is a special one. It came at a crucial time and also helped the team to win the series. We have done the same in the IPL. We just needed to remain calm and keep the intensity up. I was playing an ODI after close to 5 years. I would want to continue performing like this for my team.”
India and West Indies will take on each other in the third ODI on Wednesday at the same venue of Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad.
