Axar Patel scored the second-fastest ODI fifty for India against the West Indies, guiding the visitors’ collective batting effort in a close 312 run chase in the second ODI.

Consequently, despite dominating most of their defence and having Shai Hope score a century in his 100th ODI and Nicholas Pooran hit an aggressive 74, the hosts lost the game and the series.

Axar transformed the game in the final ten overs with an undefeated 64 off just 35 balls, despite Shubman Gill scoring 43 and Deepak Hooda striking 33.
Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyer both scored half-centuries.

India needed 100 runs to win from 60 balls with Axar and Hooda at the crease and five wickets in hand. Axar and Shardul Thakur were able to complete the task when Hooda exited the field having scored 56 runs off of 36 deliveries. By that time, Axar had already broken three sixes, and more were on the way.

When 48 needed to be scored off the final five overs, the chase took a turn for the worst when Alzarri Joseph gave up 16 runs, including two above-waist full-toss no-balls despite removing Thakur, and West Indies failed to run out No. 10 Avesh Khan with the final delivery. When Axar came over, Romario Shepherd hit two fours, and Avesh added another.
The equation was suddenly 19 off of 18.

Even though he let up 54 runs in his first six overs, Avesh wouldn’t leave without scoring his fair share of runs.
He scored 10 runs in 12 balls and asked Mohammed Siraj and Axar to help him eliminate the final eight runs. Axar, who was in excellent form, received a full toss from Kyle Mayers and launched it over the bowler’s head.

The three portions of Hope’s inning were as follows: he began with 22 off 21 balls, followed by 73 off his next 103 pitches, and finally hit 20 off his next 11 balls. All of these combined to push West Indies closer to the 300-run threshold. With Mayers, he started the day with excellent drives and punches, added singles and raced well alongside Pooran, and then, after Pooran fell in the 44th over, went for the slog in the final overs.

Despite Pooran and Hope’s bravery, especially the latter, who reached both his fifty and hundred with a six while also portraying a typical Rahul Dravid role, the day ultimately belonged to Axar and company.

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(Disclaimer: The insights expressed in this article are those of the author. This article was not written or edited by https://thetrc.news.blog/; it was published on July 25, 2022.)