Return of Senior Players Create Confidence And Relaxed Atmosphere : Axar Patel

Team India began the three-match ODI series with a commanding six-wicket victory over England in the opening game in Birmingham. Speaking on JioStar's 'Match Centre Live', Indian all-rounder Axar Patel, along with JioStar experts Saba Karim and Irfan Pathan, analysed the change in his batting approach from the T20Is to the first ODI, the positive impact of the return of senior players on the team, and Shubman Gill's innings and captaincy. 

Speaking on JioStar's 'Match Centre Live', Axar Patel reflected on his mindset when he came in to bat and what he did better in the first ODI compared to the T20Is:

"It was very important for me to deliver this kind of performance. As for my mindset, I needed to keep at it. I had to stay focused rather than thinking it would just happen on its own. I had to have self-belief and execute my plans. I feel like I was trying to hit the ball too hard during the T20Is. When you go in to bat in the death overs, you don't have any other option but to go for big shots, but I was losing my shape a little. So, when I went in to bat in this game, obviously after we got a great start, I just wanted to build a partnership. I wasn't trying to hit the ball too hard because I knew I had time and could afford to take a few balls as well. I was focusing on my timing. On this kind of wicket, it is very important to trust the bounce. Once you start reading it well, I think you can score runs." 

On how the Edgbaston wicket played:

"If you look at their innings, or even our innings, whoever was new to the crease found it very difficult to come in and start hitting straight away. Even for them, it became easier for Joe Root and Liam Dawson once the partnership was set. So I think spending some time at the crease after coming in to bat was very important. On such wickets, you cannot come in and play shots on the rise immediately because there was bounce, and it was swinging and seaming as well. You have to give yourself that little bit of time, and after that, you could play your shots." 

On how the return of senior players, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul, helped the side:

"Obviously, we have been playing alongside each other for a long time. Over time, you form a strong comradery, and that brings a sense of confidence because we have won a lot of matches together, and we've lost a few as well. But that confidence is there because everyone knows their roles and what they need to do. There is unity, the team gels well together, and you can see that on the field too, with the banter and fun everyone was having. It creates a very relaxed atmosphere." 

Speaking on JioStar's 'Match Centre Live', JioStar expert Saba Karim reflected on Shubman Gill's knock and his captaincy:

"He is a very composed player, and his captaincy reflects that. It was very important to seize the moment after losing two early wickets, which Shubman Gill did as captain. He has played innings like this many times before. Today, he faced some issues due to the injury, but overall, he put the team in a position to win the game, which they did. It must have been satisfying for Shubman Gill that the lower middle order finished the match. At that stage, around 100 runs were still needed, and the team required a sensible partnership, which Axar Patel and Washington Sundar provided. The assurance is slowly growing. I expect even more from Shubman Gill now, that he will continue to leave his mark as a captain. In terms of vision and team balance, I feel he will start asserting himself more, which should happen, given the way he is leading the side and the form he is in with the bat."

 Speaking on JioStar's 'Match Centre Live', JioStar expert Irfan Pathan looked ahead to the second ODI and discussed whether India need to make any changes:

"The main thing is to maintain this momentum. It's good that you won, so there isn't much you need to change. Anyway, it's just a day's break. England will have to work very hard. They will have to manage the short turnaround and come back with better planning. So, there are more challenges for them than for India. For the Indian team, my main concern would be how serious Gurnoor Brar's injury is and how serious Shubman Gill's hamstring issue is, considering he retired hurt. Those are the two things I will be watching closely. Apart from that, if both of them are fit, I don't think India need to make many changes, even though there might be discussions around Kuldeep Yadav's inclusion."