Rohit Sharma baffled, Dinesh Karthik furious on-air as Axar Patel's poor running costs India in T20 WC final vs SA

4 days ago | 15 Views

Team India's star all-rounder Axar Patel produced a crucial knock in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa, scoring 47 off just 31 deliveries after the side faced a top-order collapse. India were left reeling at 37/3 within the Powerplay when the team management made a surprise move, promoting Axar above the likes of Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja.

However, the move paid off well for India as Axar didn't only help revive the Indian innings alongside Virat Kohli, but also switched gears after 10 overs. Axar rotated strike and punished the loose deliveries at regular intervals, but just as it seemed that the southpaw could be set for a big score in the all-important final, he was at the receiving end of a poor mix-up with Kohli.

During the 14th over of the game, Kohli mistimed a pull shot against Kagiso Rabada, with Quinton de Kock easily collecting the ball. Despite there not being a run, Axar sprinted off the non-striker end; after racing to almost half of the surface's distance, the all-rounder turned as Kohli refused the single, but de Kock was accurate with his direct hit to cut short Axar's knock.

IND vs SA Live Score, T20 World Cup Final

Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who was shown on broadcast right after the dismissal, wasn't too happy with Axar Patel's decision-making.

Watch:

Here's how Rohit reacted:

Despite the poor effort from Axar, the left-handed did the job he set out for – reviving the Indian innings after the triple setbacks in the Powerplay. India eventually ended with a fighting 176/7 in 20 overs, as Kohli, after a series of poor scores throughout the tournament, slammed a crucial 76.

India opted to bat

Rohit Sharma had earlier opted to bat in Barbados, but fell in the second over to Keshav Maharaj. The South African spinner picked a second wicket in the same over, removing the dangerous Rishabh Pant for a duck.

Suryakumar Yadav, who had been crucial for India in the middle-order throughout the tournament, also failed to make a mark, scoring just four. Kohli, however, stayed firm at the other end and received support from Axar, as the two forged a 72-run stand to revive the innings.