The youngster from Gujarat, Axar Patel has always backed his batting and repeatedly not only said so but shown it on many occasions. The semi-final clash between West Zone and South Zone was one such occasion when he slammed 64 off 38 to turn the match on its head to chase down the 315-run target. With West Zone reeling on 175/6 at the end of 33 overs, Patel joined Suryakumar Yadav in the middle to stabilise the innings. When asked about the brief when he came to the crease, Patel said, “The coach had told me that if you play till the 50th over, the target will be chased. And when I went in to bat, Surya also told me, ‘let’s play for two-three overs and then when we get going in the batting powerplay we will be back in the game.’ We did well in the powerplay and came back into the game. But obviously when Surya got out it felt that we were again a little out of the game. But then Shardul (Thakur) came in and gave me a good stand and it became easy.” The pair added 70 off 36 balls in a whirlwind partnership to keep their team in the game. However, with the match precariously poised, Yadav departed. Recapping that period in the game, he said, “Obviously after Surya got out I was thinking about taking the team as close to the target as possible because I knew Dhawal Kulkarni and Shardul Thakur could bat and give me a stand. I wanted to stay and play till the 48th and 49th over which was going through my mind.” Seven balls after Yadav departed, Dhawal Kulkarni too was back in the dressing room without adding to the score. But Shardul Thakur stoically supported Patel and slammed 31 off 23 balls in the unbroken 50-run partnership to help the team to a thrilling win. Speaking about his knock, Patel mentioned that playing for India has taught him to handle pressure better. “Playing for India is a big thing. I was selected to play against Sri Lanka and my performance with the bat and the ball was good. Virat Kohli too appreciated me for the same. Playing for India gives the confidence a boost and teaches you to play under pressure and it helps in matches like to day.” Speaking about the road ahead he added, “I am happy that I am doing well with the bat and ball. I am working on the arm-ball. And in batting too, I am strong square of the wicket; so am working on drives etc.” Asked whether the forthcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 was on his mind, he replied, “Obviously the World Cup is on the radar but I am not thinking about it. I am looking at things match by match and focusing on the tournaments that I am playing. If I do well in those tournaments, there will be a chance.”