Axar Patel's optimum pace is just right to extract something off the slow pitch: Aakash Chopra

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra was quite impressed with the way left-arm spinner Axar Patel bowled on day four of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram. The left-arm spinner was arguably the most effective among the three spinners that India had, picking up three wickets on day four.

Chopra feels that as the pitch gets slower, spinners like Axar who are quicker through the air have the best chance of making an impact. That is exactly what happened as the left-arm spinner picked up the wickets of Yasir Ali, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Nurul Hasan.

In a video on his YouTube channel, here's what Aakash Chopra had to say about Axar Patel's impact:

"Axar Patel is the ideal kind of bowler that you want when the pitch gets slower. This is because while spinners like Kuldeep and Ashwin, who are slower through the air, become even slower, Axar's optimum pace is just right to extract something off the slow pitch and that's why he picked up three wickets."

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Aakash Chopra on India's other bowlers

Aakash Chopra also lauded other Indian bowlers for providing Axar with the required support. Mohammed Siraj went wicketless, but Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Kuldeep Yadav each picked up a wicket to help the visitors take control.

On this, Chopra stated:

"Umesh Yadav was also brilliant with the ball. He was perhaps unlucky to not have 2-3 wickets already to his name as did trouble the batters. If you win the game despite Ashwin not taking the bulk of wickets, you've done really well as a bowling unit."

India XI: KL Rahul (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.

Bangladesh XI: Najmul Hossain Shanto, Zakir Hasan, Mushiqur Rahim, Yasir Ali, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Das, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain.