Axar Patel
Indian spinner Axar Patel on Thursday joined teammate R Ashwin in a historic list following his first-over havoc on the second evening of the third Test against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
In the last 100 years, no spinner has ever taken a wicket off the first ball of an innings. Bobby Peel was the first ever to achieve this feat, in the previous century, in 1888. Albert Vogler emulated the feat after 19 years. 114 years later. Ashwin joined the elusive list dismissing England's Rory Burns in Chennai in the first Test earlier this month. And Axar joined his teammate a fortnight later, dismissing Zak Crawley for a duck in the first ball of the second innings.
Axar, who picked six wickets for 38 in the previous innings to become the third Indian spinner to record fi-fers in their first two Tests of their career, picked a second wicket in the first over of the second innings dismissing Jonny Bairstow.
Earlier, India were folded for 145, courtesy of a five-wicket haul from England captain Joe Root, but the visitors conceded a first-innings lead of 33 runs.
The four-Test series is presently tied 1-1 after India bounced back to win the second Test in Chennai, defeating England by 317 runs.
