Shane Watson gives Australia the cheat code to success against Axar Patel

Axar Patel celebrating with teammates [Source: Twitter]

The much-awaited Test series between India and Australia commences on the ninth of this month. 

India has always been a challenging venue to play cricket for Australians. However, the visitors seem determined to win this time, as they have been toiling hard on scuffed pitches to deal with the Indian spinners effectively. 

Meanwhile, legendary former all-rounder Shane Watson has analysed the technical differences between India's two left-arm spinners, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. 

Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Watson explained what makes Axar a tough nut to crack and how Australian batters can tackle him in the series. 

"Axar's angle makes him really difficult to line up. I always found him tough to face in T20s because of his release point. It's different to Jadeja, because Jadeja is normally closer to the stumps and doesn't create as much angle with the ball coming into the right-handers from his release point. But Axar is at the stumps every time. It's going to be very challenging. His release point is pretty high too. The guys playing must get used to that angle and find a way to be able to line that up. Once they do it, they'll be okay, but it can take a bit of time to work that out."

In his brief career, Axar has enjoyed stellar success in home Tests, scalping 39 wickets in just six games at a mind-boggling average of 12.44. So, considering his record in India, the 29-year-old could be the go-to man for the hosts in the series. 

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