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Predictions 
Former cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar thinks that all-rounder Axar Patel will be a useful player for India in the Champions Trophy. As per him, Patel will be a key competitor for Rishabh Pant for a place in the XI, due to him being left-handed and also a crucial contributor with the ball.
The first ODI fixture between India and England in Nagpur saw Axar Patel returning with an impressive knock of 52 and figures of 1/38 (7), as India successfully sealed the 249-run chase under 39 overs. Notably, Pant sat out of the contest, while KL Rahul donned the gloves for the Men in Blue.
In the last few years, the Indian team management have tried to increase their batting depth, while including the all-rounders, who can be valuable in both departments. A similar move was seen in the first ODI, where the side played with three all-rounders, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Moreover, with many right-handers in the XI, they have also looked to accommodate left-handers to upset the bowler’s rhythm.
In an interaction on ESPNcricinfo, Sanjay Manjrekar feels Patel has shown he has a fine temperament to churn out runs and is a great option for the Indian side.
“Before the match started, there was a suggestion from me that maybe Rishabh Pant could be tried only with the Champions Trophy in mind. Plus, India would have a left-hander in the top six or seven. Axar Patel is a great option to have because this is a guy, we have seen him bat in Test matches for India, and he has a batter’s temperament,” said Manjrekar.
Further, Manjrekar felt that Axar Patel is a solution to India’s woes against the spinners in the middle overs, which can be crucial for them in the Champions Trophy as well.
“Boy, he looked good against spinners. India have had a problem in the middle overs where they have struggled to find batters who are competent against spin. Because this Champions Trophy is going to be played in our part of the world, there’s going to be a lot of spin impact on the games,” he continued.
“Axar Patel is a terrific option to have in the middle, thereby perhaps delaying Rishabh Pant’s chances of coming back in. Now, they have found a left-hander that they can bat in the middle,” Manjrekar concluded.
Rohit Sharma reveals motive behind Axar Patel’s promotion up the order
Indian captain Rohit Sharma disclosed the reasons behind why Axar Patel was promoted up the order in the first fixture of the bilateral series against England. Patel came in at No. 5 ahead of KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya and played an important knock to help the side secure a victory.
‘Hitman’ stated that Axar has improved his batting in the last few years and feels his promotion was due to the presence of and him being left-handed.
“We want a lefty in the middle, it is simple. We know they have a couple of spinners who are going to bowl into the left-handers and we wanted one out there. Axar is an improved batter in the last couple of years, we got to see that today. We needed a partnership and Gill and Axar batted really well,” said Rohit Sharma in the post-match presentation on Thursday.
