Axar Smashes Most Sixes By An Indian Batting at No. 7 In A Successful ODI Run Chase

Mumbai: India all-rounder Axar Patel set the record for smashing most sixes batting at number seven or lower by an Indian in a successful ODI run chase.

The 28-year-old smashed five sixes as India chased down a 312-run target in the second ODI against West Indies. Axar sealed the deal with a massive six in the last over and with that broke MS Dhoni’s 17-year-old record.

Shreyas Iyer (63) and Sanju Samson (54) helped India recover from a 99-run stand when India was bundled out for three for 79 in the 18th over as both scored half-centuries, Deepak Hooda (33) and Axar then put on a quick fifty-run partnership before West Indies uncovered India’s tail-end batting as the last hope of the chase.

Most of the defence was dominated by the West Indies, but Axar’s boundaries – 3 fours and 5 sixes – as well as Avesh Khan’s twin boundaries reduced the equation to need only six. Axar again caught his nerves and delivered a wide low full toss. India dealt another blow to the Windies in the form of Kyle Meyers at long off in the fourth ball of the last over.

Axar broke Dhoni’s long-standing record in ODI cricket with an unbeaten knock of 64 off 35 balls. The five sixes he hit while chasing the target are now the most in a successful ODI goal by an Indian batsman at No. 7 or below. Dhoni had hit three sixes while chasing India’s target against Zimbabwe in 2005. Yusuf Pathan had equalled Dhoni twice in his career against South Africa and Ireland in 2011.

“I think this is a special one. It came at a crucial time and also helped the team to win the series. We have done the same in the IPL. We just needed to remain calm and keep the intensity up. I was playing an ODI after close to 5 years. I would want to continue performing like this for my team,” Axar said after the match.

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