"It's a very interesting toss-up" - Aakash Chopra on the battle between Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur for the No. 8 position

Aakash Chopra feels India have an interesting call to make in choosing between Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur after their performances in their Asia Cup 2023 Super Four clash against Bangladesh.

Shardul registered figures of 3/65 in 10 overs as the Bangla Tigers set the Men in Blue a 266-run target in Colombo on Friday, September 15. Axar then scored a fighting 34-ball 42 but his knock went in vain as Rohit Sharma and Co. were bowled out for 259 to lose the game by six runs.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that Shardul outbowled Axar during the Bangladesh innings. He observed:

"Axar was very good (with the bat). It's a very interesting toss-up. Only one of Axar and Shardul is going to play. Shardul had picked up three wickets but Axar came to bat ahead of him."

On the flip side, the former Indian opener highlighted that the spin-bowling all-rounder was better with the bat. He elaborated:

"Axar scored more runs than him and till the time Axar was there, it seemed like you would win the match. You were going very close to a win, there was a possibility that you could have won the match."

Axar and Shardul will likely compete for the No. 8 batter's position in India's playing XI for the final against Sri Lanka at the same venue. Both of them could also be a part of the side, considering Ravindra Jadeja has dished out underwhelming performances with the bat, although the team management is unlikely to go that route.

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"Shakib also made a mistake" - Aakash Chopra on Mahedi Hasan bowling the 48th over helping Axar Patel's cause

Axar Patel struck three fours and two sixes during his innings. [P/C: AP]

Aakash Chopra pointed out that Axar Patel made the most of Shakib Al Hasan's decision to make Mahedi Hasan bowl the 48th over. He said:

"Shakib also made a mistake. He got Mahedi Hasan to bowl the 48th over and 10 runs were scored in that off the last two balls. Shubman Gill had got out by then. He hit a six and then got out while trying to hit another six."

While observing that the southpaw's boundaries off the last two balls of Mahedi's over tilted the scales in India's favor, the cricketer-turned-commentator added that Mustafizur Rahman's double strike all but sealed the match for Bangladesh. He stated:

"When Axar hit that four and six, the match again went in India's favor, but after that Mustafizur Rahman picked up two wickets in an over. Shardul Thakur off the first ball and then Axar Patel got out to the fourth ball, and that was game, set and match because no one was left after that."

Axar's four and six off Mahedi's bowling brought the equation down to 17 runs off 12 deliveries. However, Shardul's dismissal off the first ball of the penultimate over and Axar getting out three deliveries later gave Bangladesh the upper hand. They closed out the contest by running out Mohammed Shami in the final over.