Axar Patel has had a dream run in the longest format of the game ever since making his debut in the Test series against England in February earlier this year. On Saturday, Axar picked up his fifth five-wicket haul in Test cricket in the 7 innings that he has bowled in and that has ensured that the left-arm spinner has joined an elite list of bowlers who have reached the milestone in quick time. Axar is now joint second fastest to five 5-wicket hauls in Test cricket. Axar is tied with Australian Charlie Turner and Englishman Tom Richardson, in the second place as they all have taken 7 innings to reach the milestone.
Australian Rodney Hogg holds the record for the fastest to 5 five-wicket hauls in Tests, which he completed in just 6 innings.
Axar has been exceptional with his bowling in Tests as he has made life difficult for batters with his flight, turn and bounce. He started his career against England with figures of 2/40 and then followed that up with three straight five-wicket hauls. He was unlucky to pick only 4 wickets in his next innings, but produced two back-to-back fifers after that, the last of which came in the first innings of the ongoing first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur, where he finished with figures of 5/62.
Axar will be one of India's key weapons on the final day of the match on Monday, with the hosts needing to pick 9 wickets to win the match.
What has been great to watch is the way Axar has bowled even after the presence of two stalwarts like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the team and has for most parts outshone his more illustrious colleagues in the match.