Axar Patel has acknowledged that after four days of cricket, the Ahmedabad surface is still hard and that it will be very challenging to get wickets once the batter is set.
In contrast to the quick conclusion in the other three Tests, only 20 wickets have fallen over the opening four days of the ongoing final Test. On a pitch that has easily been the finest to bat on in the series, both teams have had trouble picking up wickets. India had a 91-run advantage at the end of the first innings and would face a difficult assignment in trying to force a result by rapidly taking all ten wickets on the closing day.
"Bowling is being done for four days and there is a little bit of tough," Axar commented after the fourth day's play. "There isn't enough activity off the wicket, which is still difficult. As a new batter comes in or a new session begins, I believe it's critical to make a strong effort to get the wicket. The bowler has insufficient purchase when a hitter gets set. We'll try to prevent them from setting tomorrow."
Axar acknowledged that anything may happen in the game on the last day, despite the fact that he didn't sound realistic about the possibility of the Test match having a conclusion. Axar remarked, "It's cricket; anything can happen at any time. "They might play defensive under pressure if we get a couple of wickets early tomorrow. We can simply go over them because the field isn't the same as it was for the previous three games. Work hard, maintain patience, and keep bowling in the proper locations.
"Everyone predicted that the game would end in three days after the first three matches. The match now enters its fifth day. We do not control it. We thought the wicket would help us, but we didn't. We must play the way the wicket is. The fact that only the first innings ended within the first four days surprised us a little. We can only hope to win tomorrow because we can't do much."
Axar has had a very successful series personally with the bat, scoring 79 crucial runs on the fourth day while batting with Virat Kohli. Axar talked about his preparations for this series, but he kept his participation in the playing XI for a possible WTC Final match in June a secret.
He stated about his future place in the XI, "It's not in my hands and I can't do anything about it." I'm taking advantage of the opportunities that come my way and concentrating on what I control. The XI is chosen by the coach and captain, and it is my responsibility to perform consistently and earn a spot in the XI.
"We were aware that we would be playing on turning tracks when we started with the camp in Nagpur. I did my own research for playing on spinning tracks, but I didn't do much planning or preparation. I just got ready to stand on the leg stump to check for LBWs and stumpings that might happen. Since they can occur on turning tracks. Additionally, I intended to avoid off-spinners much. I was preparing myself for these things before the series began."
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