WI vs IND: Axar Patel breaks this record of Dhoni
All-rounder Axar Patel powered India to a two-wicket win against West Indies in the second ODI. He slammed his maiden ODI half-century, helping the Men in Blue chase 312 in what turned out to be a final-over thriller. The left-handed batter finished with 64* off 35 balls, a knock studded with 3 fours and 5 sixes. Axar broke the long-standing record of MS Dhoni.
Why does this story matter?
Axar came in to bat when India were tottering at 205/5. The all-rounder shared a couple of crucial stands with Deepak Hooda and Shardul Thakur, respectively. Axar finished the run-chase with a maximum as India required six off the last three deliveries. He slammed five sixes overall, now the most by an India batter at number seven or lower in a successful ODI run-chase.
A look at Dhoni's record
In 2005, former Indian captain MS Dhoni powered India to a four-wicket win against Zimbabwe. He smashed an unbeaten 67 (63) in the chase. Dhoni smashed three sixes during his knock. Nearly 17 years later, Axar broke Dhoni's record by hammering five sixes.
Another milestone for Axar
Axar brought up his half-century in 27 balls, now the second-fastest for India in the format against the Windies. He is only behind former Indian skipper Kapil Dev, who took 22 deliveries to complete his fifty against WI in 1983.
A look at Axar's stats
All-rounder Axar has maximized the opportunities presented to him in international cricket so far. He has represented India in 40 ODIs, 23 T20Is, and six Tests. Axar has slammed 581 international runs (two fifties) as of now. With the ball, he has taken 101 wickets at an incredible average of 24.60. He holds the record for registering five consecutive four-wicket hauls (Tests).
Team India scripts this record
India have now trumped the Windies in 12 consecutive bilateral series between 2007 and 2022. They have the most consecutive series wins against a side in ODIs. They broke the record of Pakistan, who have clocked 11 successive series wins against Zimbabwe (1996-present). Team India has become the record holder for most back-to-back series wins against a rival.
