NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League has not only helped international cricketers develop strong bonds, the exchange of knowledge amongst the international players, mentors and coaches have been of immense help.
Gone are the days when India and Australia cricketers used to stare, glare and sledge at each other. The just concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy series was one of the friendliest ever held and there were smiles and hugs all around.
One classic example of the IPL helping a cricketer develop into a better batsman is Axar Patel.
Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting on Tuesday revealed how "little technical changes" made while playing for Delhi Capitals helped Axar develop into an effective batter for India.
Ponting is hoping to "get a bit more out of him" when he turns up for Delhi Capitals in this IPL.
Axar (264 runs) impressed during the Border-Gavaskar Test series against Australia, slamming three half-centuries to emerge as the second highest scorer for India behind Virat Kohli (297 runs) from five innings.
"I've known Axar for a long time and he was only a young boy in the squad at Mumbai when I first went there," Ponting told the ICC Review.
"I've known that there's been a certain amount of batting skill there that really, apart from the last couple of years, he hadn't really been showing at IPL level or even at international level.
"There were a few little technique changes that we made with him. We just opened up his hips and his shoulders a little bit. So he was a bit more chest-on towards the right-arm fast bowlers."
The 29-year-old bowling all-rounder did not make his IPL debut for MI in 2013. He flourished during his five-year stint at Kings XI Punjab and emerged as one of the best white-ball performers with some good show for the Delhi Capitals over the last four seasons.
Ponting, who is the coach of Delhi Capitals, said Axar used to struggle against the short ball early in his career.
"If there was ever a weakness in his game, it was the short ball that was sort of directed at his body. The reason that he was a bit weak in that area was he was too side-on, and the ball was always sort of in behind his right shoulder," Ponting said.
"We just tried to open him up a little bit, which gave him a little bit more access to the ball. He's always been a beautiful offside player. You know, his cover driving and cutting is as good as anyone's. And if anything, he was just a little bit too blocked off to be able to score well on the leg side.
"We tweaked a few things there and because he's such a good young person to work with, and he's obviously very talented, so therefore he was a fast learner and was able to pick things up really quickly and change his technique enough to show really, really good improvement really early on."
"I want to get a bit more out of him at DC this year"
Impressed with his batting, Ponting wants to promote Axar a little up the order to get more out of him in this IPL.
"I want to get a bit more out of him at the Delhi Capitals this year, that's for sure," Ponting said.
"A few times last year we sort of batted him up a little bit higher. I think he's good enough to bat No.6 probably in an IPL team."
1/9:Clash of Titans: IND-AUS meet in the final of WTC
2/9:As it happened
<p>Australia beat India in the 3rd test of the latest edition of the Border-Gavaskar trophy to secure their place in the final of WTC. India meanwhile qualified for the final of WTC at the Oval by winning the Border-Gavaskar trophy 2-1 and thanks to New Zealand’s nail-biting win against Sri Lanka.<br /></p>AFP
3/9:Second straight time in the WTC final
<p>India reached the WTC final for the second consecutive time. Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, India will be hoping to conquer the title for the first time which they couldn’t accomplish in the inaugural WTC final.<br /></p>AFP
4/9:Australia’s first WTC final
<p>Australia has conquered everything which they wanted to in the game of cricket but now the Aussies have an eye on their first WTC final against India at the Oval. Both teams wilk look to go toe to toe at a neutral venue.<br /><br /><br /></p>AP
5/9:Most runs by an Indian in the WTC cycle (2021-23)
<p>Cheteshwar Pujara has the maximum no. of runs by an Indian in the WTC cycle. Pujara scored 887 runs in 16 matches at an average of 32.85 with the highest score of 102* against Bangladesh. <br /></p>AFP
6/9:Most runs by an Australian in the WTC cycle (2021-23)
<p>Usman Khawaja scored the highest number of runs for Australia and the second-best overall in the WTC cycle. Khawaja scored 1608 runs in 16 matches at an average of 69.91 with the highest score of 195* against the Proteas.<br /></p>IANS
7/9:Most wickets by an Indian in the WTC cycle (2021-23)
<p>Ravichandran Ashwin scalped the most wickets for India in the WTC cycle. Ashwin also stands 3rd in the charts of overall wickets in the WTC cycle (2021-2023). Ashwin took 61 wickets in 13 matches with the best figure of 6/91 against Australia.<br /></p>
8/9:Most wickets by an Australian in the WTC cycle (2021-23)
<p>Nathan Lyon leads the chart with the most wickets in the WTC cycle by scalping 83 wickets in 19 games with the best figure of 8/64 against India.<br /></p>AFP
9/9:Final Frontier
<p>Both India and Australia will once again face each other now in the final of WTC (2021-2023) at the iconic 'Oval' in London on June 7, 2023.<br /><br /><br /></p>Getty ImagesPonting also feels Axar is capable of batting at No.6 or No.7 for India in the longest format.
"He's good enough to bat at six or seven in a Test match team as well," he said.
"The higher he bats in first-class cricket, and if he plays some more Test cricket even outside of India, then I think he could hold down a six or seven spot in a Test team as well.
"He's the sort of player that I think could make a lot of first-class hundreds. That's where it's got to start for him, maybe get some support in his state team and maybe bat a little bit up the order there."
(With PTI inputs)
1/10:India win Test series 2-1 after Australia force draw in Ahmedabad
2/10:India win Border-Gavaskar Trophy for 4th consecutive time
<p>India clinched the 4-match series against Australia 2-1 after the final Test ended in a draw.<br /></p>AFP
3/10:Head and Marnus force a draw
<p>Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne hit defiant half-centuries to force a draw in Ahmedabad .<br /></p>PTI
4/10:NZ help India enter WTC Final
<p>Even before players shook hands India were through to the WTC final after NZ edged out Sri Lanka by 2 wickets.<br /></p>AFP
5/10:Shaking hands
<p>Australia reached 175/2 in their 2nd innings in the final session when players of both teams called it a day.<br /></p>PTI
6/10:The stubborn stand
<p>Head (90) & Labuschagne (63*) snuffed out India's push for a victory with a stand of 139.<br /><br /></p>IANS
7/10:First ton since November 2019
<p>The match belonged to India's Virat Kohli, who hit a masterful 186 on Day 4 to end a Test century drought of 1,205 days.<br /><br /></p>AP
8/10:28th Test ton
<p>Kohli's marathon 364-ball knock blocked every chance of a potential defeat for India after Australia's 480.<br /></p>Getty Images
9/10:India’s terrific response
<p>Riding on Gill, Kohi tons, India posted 571, managing a lead of 91 after their first innings.<br /></p>ANI
