Axar Patel has turned out to be the perfect replacement for Ravindra Jadeja after the latter was ruled out of the series when he failed to recover on time after his surgery on his dislocated thumb. Making use of the opportunity, Axar has taken 18 wickets in the two-Test matches including a 10-wicket haul in the second Test. Jadeja meanwhile is still recovering from his injury. In two Tests, the left-hander has three five-wicket hauls and was a major reason for England’s back-to-back defeats.

As India and England are gearing up for the fourth and final Test, in Ahmedabad, former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar commented on Jadeja’s injury amid Axar’s rapid rise. 

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Sunil Gavaskar on Axar Patel’s Rise

“Jadeja is now wondering what happened to his thumb. He is asking the doctor why his dislocated thumb has taken so long to recover. He got hit on the 10th of January and it is now end of February, for a dislocated thumb to take that long, ooh,” said the former Indian skipper during a discussion on Star Sports.

On the other hand, former England spinner Graeme Swann on a lighter note said that he will be happy to welcome Jadeja to play for England if Axar Patel continues to take his place. 

 “I am a huge fan of Jadeja. Seeing how well Axar Patel has done, I think he should go on leave for a week and Jadeja can either come and play for England or can play for India because I think Axar Patel has done enough, for now, we have seen enough of him, haven’t we,” said the former England spinner.

Meanwhile, both teams have started their preparations for the fourth and final Test match in Ahmedabad. Thhe loss in the third Test has put England out of the race for the World Test Championship final. India, on the other hand, have to ensure that they should not lose the Test match and they will be playing the final against New Zealand on June 18 at Lord’s.

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