Axar Patel becomes fastest Indian to claim 50 Test wickets
Axar Patel has become the fastest Indian to complete 50 wickets in Test cricket in terms of balls bowled (2,205). He accomplished the milestone in the fourth and final game versus Australia. Despite his recent struggles with the ball, the left-arm spinner accomplished the milestone in just 12 Tests. Notably, he also owns four fifties in whites. Here we look at his stats.
A look at his Test career
Axar made his Test debut versus England in February 2021. He claimed 27 wickets in just three Tests in his debut series with the help of four five-wicket hauls. Overall, he boasts 5 fifers and a solitary 10-wicket haul in Tests. While the spinner averages just over 17 in Tests, he has been conceding runs at a paltry rate of below 2.4.
Axar goes past Bumrah
Axar (2,205) displaced speedster Jasprit Bumrah (2,465) to become the fastest Indian bowler to claim 50 Test wickets in terms of balls delivered. As per News18, the duo is followed by Karsan Ghavri, who reached the mark off 2,534 balls, and Ravichandran Ashwin (2,597). Meanwhile, Travis Head (90) was Axar's 50th Test victim as the left-arm spinner shattered the stumps.
Prolific run with the bat
Three of Axar's four Test fifties have been recorded in the ongoing series. His scores in the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy read: 84, 74, 12*, 15*, and 79. His tally of 264 runs at 88 in this series is only second to Virat Kohli (297) among Indians in the ongoing series. However, he struggled with the ball, scalping just three wickets.
Ahmedabad Test ends in draw
Australia posted 480 after winnings the toss and electing to bat at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Usman Khawaja (180) and Cameron Green (114) scored tons. In reply, India posted 571 with Kohli (186) and Shubman Gill (128) slamming centuries. In their second innings, the Aussies were 175/2, having gained a slender lead. The game finally ended in a draw on Day 5.
