Axar Patel Expresses Surprise at Mumbai Pitch Conditions in T20 World Cup Opener
India's vice-captain Axar Patel has openly admitted that the national cricket team was taken aback by the nature of the pitch during their T20 World Cup opening match against the United States at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. The usually high-scoring venue presented unexpected challenges that led to an early batting collapse for the hosts.
Unexpected Pitch Behavior at Wankhede Stadium
Axar Patel revealed that the team had anticipated a flat batting surface, which is typical for Mumbai wickets, but instead encountered conditions that required significant adjustment. "We were surprised because we thought that this is a flat wicket which generally in Mumbai is," the all-rounder told reporters after the match.
The Indian team took approximately three overs to assess what would constitute a competitive total on the tricky surface. "The planning is according to the match situation. Generally, the wicket in Mumbai is flat and we took about three overs to determine what would be a good score," Axar explained.
Batting Collapse and Recovery
After being put in to bat first, India found themselves in a precarious position at 77/6 against the USA. The early collapse created pressure in the dressing room, particularly given it occurred in the tournament's opening match. "Obviously, you feel that because in last tournaments there has been such an early collapse. Cricket is like this, but then it's good that it happened in the first match," Axar acknowledged.
The situation was rescued by skipper Suryakumar Yadav's magnificent unbeaten 84 runs from just 49 deliveries. His innings propelled India to a competitive total of 161/9, which ultimately proved match-winning as they restricted USA to 132/8, securing a 29-run victory.
Team Confidence and Strategic Adjustments
Despite the early setbacks, Axar emphasized that the team maintained confidence throughout the challenging situation. "The dressing room atmosphere was like that... the kind of confidence with which we are coming in, we knew even if one batter gets going we would reach around 140-150," he stated.
The vice-captain highlighted the importance of adapting to pitch conditions: "You have to change your style looking at the wicket but we were playing attacking cricket only and not just playing defensively or taking singles or doubles. You have to hit the way the wicket is behaving."
Learning Experience for Future Matches
Axar Patel viewed the challenging match as a valuable learning opportunity for the team. "It is important to understand the nature of the wicket and the type of cricket we have been playing, we were not able to execute the shots. If it happens again, we will have the experience to take it to 160-170," he explained.
The all-rounder praised Suryakumar Yadav's match-winning performance, noting: "The player that he is, you know what happens when he is in form. After last year, the form he showed in the New Zealand series and is continuing to show it and he knows what his game is, which he showed in a big match today."
Regarding his partnership with the captain during the recovery phase, Axar added: "We talked about taking it till the end because we had no batter left. We wanted to stick around for the next 2-3 overs and then accelerate."
The initial target had been around 140 runs, but the team managed to exceed that expectation despite the difficult conditions. This experience has provided India with crucial insights as they progress through the T20 World Cup tournament.
