Axar Patel dives to catch England captain Harry Brook. (NOT a photo) NEW DELHI: India vice-captain Axar Patel produced two extraordinary fielding moments to turn the tide of India’s thrilling semi-final win over England at the Wankhede Stadium, and the all-rounder later revealed which of the two catches he felt was the tougher.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!India beat England by seven runs in a high-scoring match in the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Mumbai, a match that saw a staggering 499 runs in both innings. While the batsmen dominated the contest, Axar’s athletic brilliance in the field proved equally decisive.
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The first moment of magic came at the start of England’s chase when the dangerous Harry Brook looked set to open the attack. On a slower delivery from Jasprit Bumrah, Brook mistimed a shot that seemed destined to fall safely. But Axar sprinted nearly 24 meters back from cover, tracking the ball over his shoulder before completing a sensational catch.The Wankhede crowd erupted as an early breakthrough halted England’s aggressive start.Check out catch #1:Axar’s second act of brilliance came in the 14th over when England’s counter-attack threatened to turn the game around. With Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks building a dangerous partnership, Jacks sliced a full line from Arshdeep Singh towards deep point. Axar raced to his left, grabbed the ball just before crossing the boundary rope and smartly fed it to Shivam Dube to complete a stunning team effort.This dismissal smashed 77 runs and dragged India back into the contest.Check out catch #2:When asked to choose between the two gems in the field, Axar admitted that Jacks’ catch was more important in terms of the match situation, but rated Brook’s catch as tougher.“The first time I caught Harry Brook it was a very good catch for me, it was tough,” Axar said with a smile. “But if you look at the situation and the way England batted, Will Jacks’ catch was very important to break the partnership.“If you ask me in terms of fielding, Harry Brook’s catch was harder. And yes, luckily today I thought the ball was chasing me,” he joked.India eventually held their nerve despite Bethell’s brilliant century to set up a summit clash with New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
