Indian all rounder Axar Patel is on the verge of a rare landmark as India take on England in the second T20 International in Manchester. While the Indian team will be looking to win this match and take a lead in the series, all eyes will also be on Axar, who needs just one more wicket to etch his name into the record books.
Interestingly, Axar had a chance to achieve this milestone in the first T20I against England as well. In that match, India were due to bowl in the second innings, but rain meant the second innings could not even begin, forcing the match to be called off. That washout only delayed the moment, and Axar will now be eager to complete the feat in the second game.
One wicket away from a century
Axar Patel currently has 99 wickets in T20I cricket. A single wicket in today's match will not only take him to the landmark figure of 100 wickets in this format, it will also make him the first Indian spinner to ever reach the mark. No Indian spin bowler has taken 100 T20I wickets so far, which makes this an especially significant opportunity for Axar.
Pacers have dominated the list so far
Only three Indian bowlers have completed a century of T20I wickets to date, and all three of them are fast bowlers. Arshdeep Singh was the first Indian bowler to achieve this feat, followed by Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, both of whom also crossed the 100 wicket mark. If Axar picks up a wicket today, he will become only the fourth Indian bowler to reach the milestone, and the first specialist spinner to do so.
Among India's leading wicket takers in T20I cricket, Arshdeep Singh currently sits at the top with 131 wickets. Jasprit Bumrah is placed second with 121 wickets, while Hardik Pandya occupies third spot with 114 wickets. Axar Patel is currently fourth on this list, and one more wicket today would formally place him among this elite group of bowlers.
Rain could play spoiler again
After the first T20I was washed out by rain, the second match also faces a similar threat from the weather. According to an AccuWeather report, there is a 57 percent chance of rain in Manchester on Saturday, with dark clouds expected to hang over the city for most of the day. More worryingly for the match itself, there is a 55 percent chance of rain during playing hours, with around 2 hours of rain forecast in the evening. Just as the first game fell victim to the weather, the second match could also see rain playing villain, which may end up affecting Axar Patel's shot at this historic moment.
