Axar Patel showcased his all-round abilities on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy clash between India C and India D in Anantapur. In a day dominated by bowlers, Patel’s performance stood out as he contributed significantly with both bat and ball.
After India C won the toss and chose to bowl, the decision quickly paid off. Anshul Kamboj struck in the first over, and Vijaykumar Vyshak’s double blow in the sixth over removed key batsmen Shreyas Iyer and Devdutt Padikkal. India D found themselves in trouble early, losing three wickets for just 23 runs.
Despite the collapsing innings, Patel provided resistance. Coming in at 76/8, Patel displayed his batting prowess by hitting 86 runs. He hit multiple boundaries and sixes, particularly targeting Manav Suthar and Hrithik Shokeen, before being dismissed. Arshdeep Singh also contributed with a quickfire innings, but both fell before Patel’s innings concluded.
India D’s total of 164 was modest, but their bowlers responded strongly. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sai Sudharsan were dismissed by Harshit Rana, and Aryan Juyal and Rajat Patidar couldn’t stabilize the innings. Patel then made his mark with the ball, taking two crucial wickets to reduce India C to 43/4.
Despite the challenging situation, Abishek Porel and Baba Indrajith managed to build a partnership, with Porel scoring an unbeaten 32. India C ended the day at 91/4, trailing by 73 runs.
Brief scores:
- India C: 91/4 (Abishek Porel 32*; Harshit Rana 2/13)
- India D: 164 (Axar Patel 86; Vijaykumar Vyshak 3/19