India all-rounder Axar Patel said he corrected his batting approach after a disappointing T20I series against England, revealing that abandoning the urge to overpower the ball and trusting his timing instead paved the way for his match-winning display in the opening ODI at Edgbaston.
Axar produced a decisive all-round performance to earn the Player of the Match award as India recovered from their 0-4 T20I series defeat with a convincing six-wicket win in the first ODI. The left-arm spinner claimed 4/62 from 9.5 overs before anchoring the chase with a well-crafted 57 off 52 deliveries, helping India overhaul the target of 259 with 28 balls remaining.
Captain Shubman Gill, who retired hurt after scoring 80, and Washington Sundar, who remained unbeaten on 52, also played key roles as India moved 1-0 ahead in the three-match series.
Looking back at a T20I campaign in which he managed only 19 runs across four innings, Axar admitted he had drifted away from his natural game in pursuit of power-hitting.
"It was very important for me to deliver this kind of performance. As for my mindset, I needed to keep at it. I had to stay focused rather than thinking it would just happen on its own. I had to have self-belief and execute my plans," Axar told JioStar.
"I feel like I was trying to hit the ball too hard during the T20Is," he said.
The 32-year-old explained that his role in the shortest format often required him to bat in the closing overs, leaving little choice but to attack from the outset. However, he felt that approach had affected his balance and overall batting rhythm.
"When you go in to bat in the death overs, you don't have any other option but to go for big shots, but I was losing my shape a little. So, when I went in to bat in this game, after we got a great start, I just wanted to build a partnership," he explained.
Axar said the nature of the Edgbaston pitch encouraged a more measured approach, leading him to rely on placement and timing rather than brute force.
"I wasn't trying to hit the ball too hard because I knew I had time and could afford to take a few balls as well. I was focusing on my timing," he said.
He added that the surface posed a challenge for incoming batters, with bounce, swing and seam movement making it important to spend time in the middle before shifting gears.
Axar also highlighted the influence of experienced campaigners Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul, saying their return to the side had injected composure and confidence into the Indian dressing room.
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