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India all-rounder Axar Patel explained the emphasis of staying patient and not getting swayed by the thought of executing "magic balls" on a surface that comes into the assistance of spinners, just like Kolkata's Eden Gardens on the second day of the opening Test against South Africa.
India established itself in a position of control with a slender yet valuable 30-run lead after posting 189 on the board in reply to South Africa's first innings total of 159. Before the Proteas could chop down the trail, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav pinned Ryan Rickelton (11) in front of the stumps at the stroke of tea. The tourists lost six wickets in the final session while trying to negate the spin threat and crawled to a 63-run lead at the end of the day's play. Axar believes the key to scoring runs on such a tricky surface lies in adopting an attacking mindset. "From one end, it feels like it's going straight, but from the other end, everything is happening. Have to play attacking cricket as a batter. Have to convert loose balls and keep an attacking mindset. Can't have a defensive mindset because you're never in," Axar said at the end of the day's play. The floodgates opened, and Ravindra Jadeja brought thunder down the ground with his spin craft. Aiden Markram (4), Wiaan Mulder (11), Tony de Zorzi (2), and Tristan Stubbs (5) perished against Jadeja's masterclass, leaving South Africa threadbare at 60/5. Axar cleaned up Kyle Verreynne (9), who went for a wild sweep after Marco Jansen (13) gave away an outside edge to KL Rahul, stationed at the first slip off Kuldeep. With the pitch offering uneven bounce and spin, Axar underscored the importance of staying patient rather than getting carried away. "When you know there's something in it for the bowlers, you can get carried away by the thought of bowling some magic balls. Patience is key," Axar added. Captain Temba Bavuma returned unbeaten with a composed 29(78), and Corbin Bosch played the supporter's act at the other end as South Africa concluded the day with 93/7 on the board. With the duo capable of taking the game out of India's hands, Axar feels, "If we can keep them under 125, it should be chaseable." (ANI)
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