“Not daring, I don’t like that word. Confidence is my thing.” Two days before the first Test against South Africa, Axar Patel nails his character trait that has seen him blossom into India’s crisis man in all formats, with bat and ball. Runs needed in the middle-overs in an ODI, send him up. A left-handed option needed higher up in T20s, dial Axar. A Test collapse needs to be fixed, Axar hain na. Wickets needed when bigger names aren’t getting breakthroughs, throw the (red or white) ball to Axar. Delhi Daredevils are without a proper captain, give the responsibility to Axar, who did it so well last season that it stunned quite a few onlookers.
It’s his nonchalance that first strikes you. And laughter. The back-slapping jokes in seemingly crisis situations, the great ability to diffuse tension in any situation, and the skill to go with it. Hence the adjective ‘daring’ was thrown at him. He smiles, nods his head in disagreement and talks about confidence. “There is a difference. Daring is like tukka (freak luck). I am not going there with 50-50, laga toh laga type. You go hit out, or try some random balls as a bowler and hua toh hua (If it happens, it happens). I am not like that. I prepare so well that I am confident. Confidence in myself is my thing.” He also says a few ‘daring’ things about the public perception around the nature of players who can become captain, but we shall come to that.
As the chat progresses it becomes clear that Axar Patel is like that prankster, fun-loving school kid who is out messing all day with us, and who we feel hasn’t studied for exams like us, but stuns us next morning. Confidence, you can’t buy that. Nor the self-discipline needed for preparation. It’s Wednesday evening when we chat. He is in his hotel room, seemingly chilled out on the couch after a hard day’s training.
Axar Patel in action. (FILE photo)
He has gone through the videos of South Africa’s batsmen, and has thought about what he is going to bowl. “I don’t like to be surprised. See, the likes of (Aiden) Markram or (Temba) Bavuma, I know what they do. Other batsmen I watch videos. Look at what the performance-analyst sends. Look at the apps, their batting. Tomorrow I don’t want to be surprised: ‘oh this guy sweeps or cuts or whatever the shots are.’ I generally tend to focus on my bowling. What I can do. But with the awareness of what to do against a few specific batsmen.”
It’s not surprising that a Test bowler, who has taken 55 wickets at an average of 19.34, plans, but it’s surprising how Axar has managed to develop that perception of easy nonchalance of a ‘natural’ (read unthinking), performer.
Relaxed attitude
“Why should I show it to the world? That I am serious about what I do,” he says with a smile. “ I have that kind of personality. It’s my job to prepare as a batsman or bowler. Mujhe kyun duniya ko batana hai. Apna kaam karo, niklo chup chaap (Do your job, go quietly). It’s been from childhood.”
Not that ease of character isn’t a central trait; it is. He even pursues it actively. “When we are batting, and I am in the dressing room, in ODIs, I see 5 overs. In T20, I see one or two overs, and then go in. In Tests, I don’t watch at the start as I am not going to play the new ball. Every now and then, I see inside on the tv where it’s better to judge exactly what’s happening. But mostly, I will be taking my mind off the game. I joke around with my team-mates. Talk about anything but the game. I like to be relaxed and then when I go out there, I react in the moment.”
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Hard prep allied with confidence that allows him to filter off any preconceived stress about game situations or the pitch, and react to the moment. “I know what’s happening on the pitch, why take more tension by getting serious. I am confident that I can do it. Whether I should hit or see out a phase, all that comes with experience. I don’t think it can backfire or how it will affect my career. You have to accept that. But I see it as an opportunity and I want to make the most of it. If I am getting promoted up the order, it means I am going to get more balls to face. So I prepare well. I don’t also think of it as an excuse ‘oh they sent me ahead, so I failed’. No, I see it as an opportunity that if I do well here, I will get more chances. I was batting at No.7, now if they send me ahead, I can showcase my skills.
It’s a great chance and I want to grab it — that’s my attitude. And that’s what I mean by confidence.”
His mental strength then is the key to his success. Mohammad Kaif, who worked with him at Delhi Capitals, the IPL team co-owned by JSW Sports, as assistant coach once told this newspaper. “He is very ambitious; that desire is there now. Yet, he is so sorted, chilled out. Tension nahi leta, batting or bowling mey (Doesn’t get tense, whether batting or bowling). In a crisis situation, those who play as if there is no crisis do well. As they say, it becomes a mental thing under pressure. It allows the confidence in the skill set to flow through. You see him in the fun videos that DC, or the Indian teams put out; that’s how he is off the field and on the field. How much he would pull the legs of Rishabh Pant, his very good friend.”
A buffering Instagram video of Capitals offers more proof. When the host plays a video of Ponting not rating Axar’s humour quotient, and says, “coach saab aapka humour ka not a fan,” a relaxed Axar quips: “No, no, problem humour ka nahi hai, language ka locha hai, he doesn’t understand my English!” And laughs.
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English and captaincy
In the here and now, the talk about language comes up. But in a different angle — how the perceptions about language and notions about media-savvy personality play out in building-up a player as a potential captain. It stirs Axar. And it’s worth quoting him in full.
“People start saying ‘oh he is not a captaincy material, he doesn’t speak English. How will he talk? Yeh hai, voh hai’. Arre! Captain’s work is not to just talk. Captain’s work is to know the player and see how to get the best out of him. What’s his strength, what’s his weakness. Captain knows that I have this player and what I need to do to get work out of him (“kaisey kaam nikalwaana hai”). And in game situations, who to give the ball now.”
Axar Patel in action for Delhi Capitals. (FILE photo)
“But yeah if we say ‘personality’ chahiye, acha English bolna chahiye – that’s a perception made by the public based on their own thinking. I captained Delhi Capitals this year and got a lot of praise. I think if more of this happens, more will change in the coming time. It’s important that people have to change their personal thinking. Stop thinking ‘oh his personality is good, he can speak English – so he is captain material’. One thing about captaincy is there should be no language barrier. It’s all about what you see and what the media is showing. How active you are on social media. How you talk. People judge you on all that. Everyone likes to give opinions these days. He is capable, he is not capable, take him, don’t take him, make him captain etc.”
The flood of words stops. A smile pops up. And he adds, “The people in cricket know what’s the value of a player. At the end of day that’s what matters – what the people around you think. So yeah, just do your job.” Kaam karo, and niklo chup-chaap – that’s the Axar way.
