Akshar Patel has been picked for the last two Tests in Australia to replace the injured Ravindra Jadeja. While his talent is undoubted, it may be too early to pick Akshar for Tests. His selection seems to be more on promise of performances in the shorter formats, writes Nishad Pai Vaidya.
Ravindra Jadeja’s injury has paved the way for Akshar Patel to make an entry into the Indian Test side Down Under. At the outset, it seems to be a like for like replacement — Akshar is in the Jadeja mould as he bats with a punch and bowls inexpensive overs. In 2014, Akshar has moved from strength to strength and has established himself as one of the most promising young cricketers in the country. Though Jadeja is a fixture in the one-day side, he faces tough competition from Akshar in the lead-up to the World Cup.
However, is Akshar’s selection for the Test side justified? The youngster has performed well in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and given a glimpse of his talent. He can be very aggressive with the bat. Batting lower down the order, he has shown both intent and ability to attack and score quick runs. With ball in hand, he maintains a tight channel and is very effective in Powerplays. He fires them in and hits the right areas consistently. As a limited-overs cricketer he fits the bill but his skill set may not get him through Tests.
Two years into his First-Class career (excluding the ongoing Ranji game between Saurashtra and Gujarat), Akshar has had decent numbers. From 10 matches, he has scored 499 runs at an average of 45.36 with four fifties and taken 32 wickets at 27.18. The numbers are not too bad, but Akshar certainly needs time to develop into a good First-Class cricketer before graduating to the highest level. This selection seems more on his IPL and one-day performances than anything else.
Time and again numerous cricketers have been picked keeping in mind their IPL performances. While the league does accord them a shot at limelight, bringing their domestic contributions to the fore, there have been cricketers who have fallen by the wayside after being picked due to IPL outings. Picking them is risky not only to the team’s cause but also for their own growth as players. India would end up having a misfit in the Test side and the player too would be found wanting.
Additionally, India have to decide in what capacity they have picked him. Has he been selected as a batsman who bowls or a bowler who bats? If he is picked as a batsman, it is far too premature to throw him in the deep end. As a bowler he needs to work on giving the ball air and mould himself into a good First-Class bowler. India made a mistake by picking Karn Sharma, who did not merit selection with bat or ball. Akshar has undoubtedly been better than Karn, but we are discussing limited-overs cricket here. But India clearly have not learn their lessons after picking Karn in the first Test.
What India should have done is pick a genuine spinner. Karn was ineffective, and Ravichandran Ashwin continues to struggle overseas. With only one frontline spinner in the side, India need to have a back-up and not bits-and-pieces cricketers. A Pragyan Ojha or an Amit Mishra would probably have been a better choice.
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