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When asked about the direct hit run-out, Axar expounded on how he was able to predict Imam’s movement, which allowed for the spinner to anticipate the opportunity to catch him off-guard.
Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav celebrating the dismissal of Imam-ul-Haq (AP)
Spectacular run-outs aren’t just all about accuracy and a bit of luck. It’s also about pre-judgment at times. Ask Axar Patel, who shared the thought process behind how the Indian could ‘visualise’ his run-out of Imam-ul-Haq against Pakistan on Sunday at the ICC Champions Trophy.
Wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav kept Imam on the strike on the first ball as the left-hander came down the track to defend. He tried the same on the next ball, and this time, he pushed it to mid-on, where Axar pounced on it and hit the bulls-eye. Imam was quick but fell at least a foot short of his crease and had to go for 10 (26).
India would go on to dominate their rivals, bowling them out for 2411, and sealing a comfortable 6-wicket win, thanks to a sensational century from Virat Kohli as well.
After the match, when asked about the direct hit run-out, Axar expounded on how he was able to predict Imam’s movement, which allowed for the spinner to anticipate the opportunity to catch him off-guard.
“When I came to bowl in the powerplay, Imam took a single where he hit to mid-off where Rana was fielding. I thought that was his plan again. Whatever videos I have seen of him, he steps out a lot and takes singles,” Axar revealed in an interview with ICC.
“The ball before the run-out, I had visualised that maybe he would step out, hit it to me for a single, and I would run him out. I was behind a little, but I charged in and the same happened and I got a direct hit.”
“After it happened, I thought to myself ‘glad I had visualised the run-out the ball before’,” Axar stated.
With his insane foresight and execution, Axar has put himself into the India-Pakistan highlight reels for the foreseeable future, like his senior spin all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja who had run out Shoaib Malik in the 2017 Champions Trophy group stage match between these two teams.
