ANI
15 Nov 2025, 23:36 GMT+10
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 15 (ANI): India all-rounder Axar Patel explained the emphasis of staying patient and not getting swayed by the thought of executing 'magic balls' on a surface that comes into the assistance of spinners, just like Kolkata's Eden Gardens on the second day of the opening Test against South Africa.
India established itself in a position of control with a slender yet valuable 30-run lead after posting 189 on the board in reply to South Africa's first innings total of 159. Before the Proteas could chop down the trail, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav pinned Ryan Rickelton (11) in front of the stumps at the stroke of tea.
The tourists lost six wickets in the final session while trying to negate the spin threat and crawled to a 63-run lead at the end of the day's play. Axar believes the key to scoring runs on such a tricky surface lies in adopting an attacking mindset.
'From one end, it feels like it's going straight, but from the other end, everything is happening. Have to play attacking cricket as a batter. Have to convert loose balls and keep an attacking mindset. Can't have a defensive mindset because you're never in,' Axar said at the end of the day's play.
The floodgates opened, and Ravindra Jadeja brought thunder down the ground with his spin craft. Aiden Markram (4), Wiaan Mulder (11), Tony de Zorzi (2), and Tristan Stubbs (5) perished against Jadeja's masterclass, leaving South Africa threadbare at 60/5.
Axar cleaned up Kyle Verreynne (9), who went for a wild sweep after Marco Jansen (13) gave away an outside edge to KL Rahul, stationed at the first slip off Kuldeep. With the pitch offering uneven bounce and spin, Axar underscored the importance of staying patient rather than getting carried away.
'When you know there's something in it for the bowlers, you can get carried away by the thought of bowling some magic balls. Patience is key,' Axar added.
Captain Temba Bavuma returned unbeaten with a composed 29(78), and Corbin Bosch played the supporter's act at the other end as South Africa concluded the day with 93/7 on the board. With the duo capable of taking the game out of India's hands, Axar feels, 'If we can keep them under 125, it should be chaseable.' (ANI)
Get a daily dose of Sierra Leone Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Sierra Leone Times.
More InformationLONDON, U.K.: Global demand for oil and gas could keep rising until 2050, the International Energy Agency said on November 12. This...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: If you rely on premium rewards credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Citi Strata Elite, your next...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets closed out Friday's session with a mixed performance, as investors balanced ongoing rate expectations,...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Two Hollywood icons are lending more than just their star power to artificial intelligence. Michael Caine...
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa: South Africa's largest mobile operator, Vodacom Group, has signed a deal with Elon Musk's Starlink to provide...
HOUSTON, Texas: Chevron announced on November 12 that it aims to grow free cash flow by more than 10 percent annually through 2030...
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa: South Africa's largest mobile operator, Vodacom Group, has signed a deal with Elon Musk's Starlink to provide...
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 15 (ANI): India all-rounder Axar Patel explained the emphasis of staying patient and not getting...
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 15 (ANI): Lucknow Super Giants have made a bold move to release their South African power-hitter,...
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 15 (ANI): Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru have parted ways with England all-rounder...
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 15 (ANI): South Africa ended Day 2 of the first Test at Eden Gardens in deep trouble at 93/7,...
* A key focus of the conference lies in the submission of a new round of NDCs. According to the Paris Agreement, adopted by 195 parties...
