Nathan Ellis once again provided a crucial breakthrough for Australia, while the visitors India were moving on top in the 180+ chase in the third T20I of the five-match series at Hobart, as the Aussie pacer dismissed Axar Patel with another top bouncer, while Xavier Bartlett took a stunning catch. 

While India were chasing down the 187-run target to level the series, they lost their third wicket at 76 runs in the eighth over, as Axar Patel came to the crease. With Tilak Verma, Axar set a crucial 35-run partnership for the fourth wicket. While India were dominating with 111/3 in 11 overs, Nathan Ellis, the bowler of the night for Australia, produced another crucial breakthrough by dismissing Axar. 

[WATCH] Abhishek Sharma opens account with 6 during AUS vs IND 3rd T20I in Hobart

Xavier Bartlett took stunning catch to dismiss Axar Patel

It was another well-directed short delivery, which cramped Axar, as the left-handed batter went for an uncontrolled pull shot with his top edge. While Xavier Bartlett was fielding at midwicket, he had to run forward for the catch and timely grabbed the ball, which was just going down. It was a brilliant catch on an outstanding delivery, as Axar was dismissed for 17 runs off 12 balls, where he hit one four. 

Xavier Bartlett that is a phenomenal catch! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/SgRYuZ5mGO

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 2, 2025

India won by 5 wickets

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav chose to field first, as Australia scored 186/6 in 20 overs. As the boundaries were small, India would be happy with the target. Arshdeep Singh (3/35) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/33) were the top Indian bowlers, while Tim David (74) and Marcus Stoinis (64) played crucial roles in the Aussie innings.

Meanwhile, India comfortably chased down the target in 18.3 overs after losing five wickets. While all Indian batters made some impacts in that chase, Washington Sundar played a memorable knock of 49 not out off 23 balls with three fours and four sixes. Nathan Ellis was the best bowler for Australia on the night (4-0-36-3), but he didn't get enough support from the other bowlers.  

Australia came into the third T20I of the five-match series against India at the Ninja Stadium in Hobart with a 1-0 lead and needed one more victory to take an undefeated lead. But they didn’t get a good start with the bat, having lost the toss to the visiting captain, Suryakumar Yadav. The home side lost both Travis Head and Josh Inglis early in the innings. 

Their captain, Mitchell Marsh, struggled to find a good rhythm and timing with the bat before Tim David showed his power. The latter has enjoyed a great T20 record at the venue with a strike rate of over 170 in 26 T20 innings, and he used his power brilliantly during the knock.

See Also: [WATCH] Arshdeep Singh dismisses Travis Head for 6 during AUS vs IND 3rd T20I in Hobart

On the fifth ball of the seventh over against India’s left-arm spinner, Axar Patel, the right-handed batter went forward and lofted the shot over the shade of the stadium. It went out of the ground with the strong elevation as Axar, for a moment, thought of hiding his face. It was a 129m six from the batter.

Watch: Tim David smashed monster six of 129m against Axar Patel during AUS vs IND 3rd T20I

On the third ball of the same over, David sliced the spinner over the sweeper cover for a huge six. He opened the bat face and hit it to the short boundary with the breeze. When India introduced Shivam Dube into the attack, David took his beast mode and clubbed three boundaries to celebrate his fifty in just 23 balls. It was the second-fastest T20I fifty from an Australian batter against India by balls.

What a hand power man 130M six by Tim David 🥵🥵 pic.twitter.com/0N9PRABZqv

— Raf! (@MBVKtweets) November 2, 2025

He even showed his brutal force against Varun Chakravarthy. He came down the track and took the ball on a half-volley to loft it with the wind for a six. Two balls later, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter got forward and smashed the ball flat over the fence for the same result.

He was finally dismissed by Dube for 74 runs in 38 balls, riding on eight boundaries and five sixes at a strike rate of nearly 200. Australia pushed their way to 118/5 in 13 overs and looked good to cross the 180-mark in their allotted 20 overs.

The second T20I between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) didn’t start as the visitors expected it to be, as they lost half of their side inside the first 10 overs after being put into bat first by Mitchell Marsh, the Australian captain, who won the toss and had no hesitation in bowling first. The management decided to bring Matthew Short into the eleven. 

Even from the opening over, it was addressed that Shubman Gill was struggling against Josh Hazlewood, who sent back the Punjab batter along with two more wickets of Tilak Verma and Suryakumar Yadav. But it became worse when their left-handed middle order batter, Axar Patel, got dismissed for two runs via a run-out.

See Also: "I will sing..."- Sunil Gavaskar makes memorable promise to Jemimah Rodrigues if India wins Women's World Cup 2025

On the third ball of the eighth over, Axar clubbed the ball and comfortably took the first couple of runs. But while returning for his third run, he slipped while standing halfway down the 22-yard. He was initially slow to start running and didn’t have enough time to complete the third run. It was enough for Josh Iglis to break the stumps and send the batter back.

Watch: Axar Patel dismissed for 7 via run-out during AUS vs IND 2nd T20I in Melbourne

On the fifth over of the innings, Hazlewood broke the back of the Indian side with the twin wickets of Sky and Tilak Varma. The former was totally squared up against the unplayable short ball before the wicket-keeper grabbed a fine catch. Two balls later, he sent back India’s Asia Cup 2025 hero for a two-ball duck.

"A real mix-up!" 😯

Wickets continue to fall as Axar Patel departs...

📺 Watch #AUSvIND on ch. 501 or stream via @kayosports: https://t.co/sOOmnqnKOT
✍️BLOG https://t.co/DOsxnlHXCX
🔢MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/uVc3yA8tW5 pic.twitter.com/Me7aQl9rqM

— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) October 31, 2025

Harshit Rana was promoted to number seven in the batting line-up and did a great job to put a good stand of over 40 runs for the sixth wicket with Abhishek, who celebrated his fifty in 23 balls, thanks to seven boundaries and one six at a strike rate over 200.

India reached 92/5 in their 13 overs. It had been a typical performance from the Blue Brigade. However, it would help them for future T20Is to get the right planning in these circumstances.

India’s premier pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, was rested post the two-match home Test series against West Indies for the three ODI series against Australia down under as he prepares to make a strong comeback during the upcoming five-match T20I series in Australia. He showed off his close friendship on Instagram with some light-hearted banter in the comments section.

It was a promotional video from the left-arm spin all-rounder of the Blue Brigade. Axar acted in different scenes as Bumrah, who comes from the same state, was one of the first to comment on it, saying, “Kidney touching acting.” It was a very sarcastic comment from the pacer and drew a lot of laughter from the fans of both players around the social media platforms through the replies.

See Also: [WATCH] Gautam Gambhir’s two-word message to Harshit Rana after IND vs AUS 3rd ODI goes viral

Axar took the joke lightly and went a step further to reply, “Thanks a lot, bro, next time my acting will touch your toes.” The all-rounder played in the three-match ODI series and has become a vital member of the national side across both white-ball formats.

Jasprit Bumrah trolls Axar Patel in Instagram post’s comment section

This wasn’t the first instance of Bumrah and Axar poking at each other with fun in public. The IPL camera recorded their post-match interactions as it attracted a lot of comments on social media platforms. It showed the funny side of their friendship. But it has been backed by some praising words from the spinner as he called the pacer ‘world-class’, saying the Ahmedabad-born didn’t need any input.

“Obviously, Jasprit Bumrah is a world-class bowler, and you know that with the quality of bowlers we have on our side – we can get out of a tough situation. I don’t think anyone talks much about Bumrah’s bowling (in the dressing room). He has an idea of what to do and what not to do. So I think when it is going so well, I don’t think the bowling coach is giving so much input that there is some confusion in his mind.” Axar expressed.

Both veteran players will feature for the Indian side during the opening T20I clash of the five-match series against Australia on October 29 at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.

Team India are back home to play West Indies in a two-Test series. The first match will start in Ahmedabad on Thursday, October 2. This will be Shubman Gill's first Test series at home as captain, after his good start as captain in England.

India are the favorites against West Indies, but they must remember the 0-3 loss to New Zealand in their last home Test series.

Gill will have tough choices for the playing XI. One big decision is whether to pick Kuldeep Yadav or Axar Patel as the third spinner, along with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.

Assuming India play two pacers along with Jadeja and Sundar, one of Kuldeep or Axar will sit out in the Ahmedabad Test against West Indies.

Here we look at who between Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel should be in India’s playing XI for the first Test.

Also Read -Vaibhav Suryavanshi Smashes 78-Ball Century in Youth Test Against Australia

1. Kuldeep Yadav or Axar Patel – Who is ahead?

Neither Kuldeep nor Axar played in India’s last Test series in England. But Kuldeep was part of the squad and was close to making the XI.

When India last played a home series against New Zealand, Kuldeep was picked ahead of Axar. Even though he got injured after the first Test, the team did not pick Axar later either. This shows that Kuldeep is ahead of Axar in the spin order.

Edge: Kuldeep Yadav

2. Better team fit

India will almost surely play Jadeja and Sundar in the XI. Both are finger spinners. Picking Axar, who bowls very similar to Jadeja, may not add much variety.

Kuldeep, on the other hand, is a left-arm wrist spinner. He offers more attacking options and can be effective even on flat pitches.

Axar may only be considered if India want a stronger batter at No. 8, but that depends on pitch conditions. If it helps pacers, India may even go with just two spinners (Jadeja and Sundar).

Edge: Kuldeep Yadav

3. Form and numbers

Axar has good home Test numbers – 47 wickets in 12 games at an average of 18.65. Kuldeep also has solid stats – 38 wickets in 9 games at 23.39.

But Axar’s best form came in 2021-22. In his last six home Tests, he has only 8 wickets at an average close to 50.

Kuldeep, meanwhile, has been excellent recently – 22 wickets in 5 home Tests in 2024 at 23.09.

In the England series last year, India lost the first Test when Kuldeep did not play and Axar took just 3 wickets. After Kuldeep came into the XI, India won four Tests in a row and he took 19 wickets. Axar was dropped after two games.

With the bat, Axar is far better. But with Jadeja and Sundar also there, India should focus more on bowling.

Edge: Kuldeep Yadav

Verdict

Kuldeep Yadav is ahead of Axar Patel in form, fit, and impact. He should play the first Test against West Indies.

In the Asia Cup 2025 Final between India and Pakistan in Dubai, Axar Patel gave India a big breakthrough by dismissing Mohammad Haris for a silver duck in the 13.3 over. This came just after Saim Ayub was out, leaving Pakistan struggling in the middle overs. Haris tried to play a lofted drive over extra cover but missed the ball, and Rinku Singh caught it at wide long-off.

Axar Patel added to Pakistan problems after the earlier loss of their aggressive batter Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub. Promoting Haris up the order did not work as planned. India’s spin bowlers took advantage of the pressure and picked wickets quickly. At the time Haris was out, Pakistan were 114/3.

Haris’s dismissal illustrates India’s great fightback in the middle overs with their spin attack. Pakistan’s intent to score quickly with aggressive stroke play has backfired, losing their key batters in quick succession, and they are now under pressure.

India Comback and Pakistan's Trouble

Pakistan's batting is in a lot of trouble. The first three wickets fell in quick succession to Farhan, Ayub and Mohammad Haris, which halted their momentum. And four wickets fell for only 18 runs, signalling a middle-order collapse. Pakistan will now need to stabilize their innings and run the ball against India's tight bowling. Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav are applying continuous pressure.

Watch the video here

Axar Patel took wicket, Rinku Singh caught the ball. #INDvsPAK #INDvPAK #AsiaCupT20 #AsiaCup https://t.co/rPz3bgpOuU

— Indian Penguin (@indianpenguin) September 28, 2025

See Also: [WATCH] IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Final: Sahibzada Farhan goes deep into crease and smashes 6 against Kuldeep Yadav

At the time of writing, Pakistan sit at 133 for 5 at the end of 16 overs. S Ali Agha, who is on 8 off 6 balls, is not out and Mohammad Nawaz is on 1 off 2 balls. Axar Patel has bowled extremely well, picking up 2 wickets for 26 runs in 4 overs. India continues to dominate the game in the pivotal middle-overs phase by keeping Pakistan on the back foot.

Bangladesh began their Super 4 campaign in style, pulling off an impressive win against Sri Lanka. Riding on that confidence, they locked horns with an unbeaten Indian side in their second fixture of this stage.

India, batting first, got off to a solid start during the power play. However, Bangladesh’s bowlers displayed remarkable discipline and sharp variations in the middle overs. Their efforts paid off as they slowed down the scoring rate and picked up timely breakthroughs, restricting India to a total of just 168 runs.

Chasing the target, Bangladesh suffered an early setback by losing a wicket in the initial overs. Still, their batters kept the scoreboard ticking with steady partnerships. Unfortunately, as the innings progressed, they faltered in the middle overs, losing two key wickets in quick succession. These dismissals stalled their momentum and made the chase far more challenging, putting the responsibility on the lower order to carry the fight forward.

See Also: [WATCH] Asia Cup 2025: Shubman Gill falls while playing big shot in IND vs BAN match 16

Axar Patel Strikes to Dismiss Towhid Hridoy:

Towhid Hridoy walked in after Bangladesh lost two quick wickets, hoping to stabilize the innings and push the score forward. However, his stay was short-lived as he failed to leave any significant mark.

In the 10th over, Axar Patel produced the breakthrough. Delivering a well-tossed-up ball on middle and leg, Axar invited the big shot. Hridoy went for it, aiming to clear long-on, but he mistimed his stroke completely. The ball ballooned high into the air, giving Abhishek Sharma ample time in the deep to complete a safe catch.

Bapu, tari bowling kamaal che 😎🥳

Watch #TeamIndia putting on the breaks in #INDvBAN in #DPWORLDASIACUP2025 – LIVE NOW on #SonyLIV & #SonySportsNetwork TV Channels 📺 pic.twitter.com/zt2s3UWkKX

— Sony LIV (@SonyLIV) September 24, 2025

It was a poor shot selection, especially after Bangladesh had already managed a six earlier in the same over. Instead of consolidating, Hridoy’s impatience cost him dearly. With his dismissal, Bangladesh’s momentum suffered another blow, and the players headed into the drinks break under added pressure.

Towhid Hridoy’s innings ended quickly as he managed just 7 runs from 10 balls at a strike rate of 70.00. Looking to attack Axar Patel, he mistimed a lofted shot and was caught by Abhishek Sharma at long-on. His dismissal added to Bangladesh’s troubles, leaving their middle order under more pressure in the crucial chase.

First ball, six. Axar Patel welcomed the Oman cricket team with a massive six. He took experienced spinner Aamir Kaleem for an over boundary on the first ball he faced during Match 12 of the ongoing India vs Oman match. 

India quickly revived from the early blow in the form of Shubman Gill, who lost his wicket against a jaffa from Shah Faisal. The early blow from Oman caught everyone on the ground by surprise. But Team India has enough firepower in their batting lineup. As it was expected before, the team management of India reshuffled their batting order for the match against Oman, as it had already turned into dead rubber, as India had already qualified for the Super 4s and Oman had been eliminated from the competition. 

After the departure of Shubman Gill, opener Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson stabilized the innings and opened the passage from where the run started to flow. The wicket looked a little bit challenging, so the batters, who walked into the crease fresh, needed to test and observe the first few balls. Sanson, who got the opportunity to bat for the first time in the tournament, smashed a well-controlled half century. 

Read More: [WATCH] Abhishek Sharma smashes Mohammed Nadeem for 19 runs in IND vs OMAN Asia Cup 2025 contest

Instant reaction from Axar Patel stunned Oman cricket team 

When the foundation was set, with multiple batters yet to come from the bench, Axar Patel did not think twice about going big from the first ball he faced. Aamir Kaleem was one of the main men of Oman's lineup. Patel welcomed him with open arms for a huge six. The Team India all-rounder played an entertaining 26 off 13 with 3 boundaries and one over boundary. 

The only overboundary he hit was massive. The southpaw put down his knees against the left-arm spinner and swung the bat vertically for the six over the long-on area. The crowd in the gallery absolutely loved the instant reaction from Patel. Oman cricketers were stunned. 

Watch the huge 6 here

Swept clean… and sent miles for six! 💥

Watch #INDvOMA LIVE now on the Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV. #SonySportsNetwork #DPWorldAsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/twDMN56pEJ

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 19, 2025

Spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel shone as Team India beat Pakistan by seven wickets in match number six of the Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, September 14. Kuldeep took 3 for 18 in four overs and won his second Player of the Match award in a row. Axar also bowled well with figures of 2 for 18.

India bowled first after losing the toss and gave a strong performance to restrict Pakistan to 127 for 9. Axar got the wickets of Fakhar Zaman (17) and Salman Agha (3). Kuldeep dismissed Hasan Nawaz (5) and Mohammad Nawaz (0) in back-to-back balls. He also took the wicket of Sahibzada Farhan (40 off 44).

Kuldeep has now played 42 T20I matches. After his great spell against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, we look at his T20I stats compared with Axar at the same stage.

Also Read -Stats and records highlights from India's victories over Pakistan and UAE in Asia Cup 2025

Kuldeep Yadav vs Axar Patel – Stats After 42 T20Is

In 42 T20Is, Kuldeep has taken 76 wickets at an average of 13.10. He has 17 wickets in nine games against West Indies at 13.41 and 12 in nine matches against Sri Lanka at 18.50. He also has eight wickets in six games against Australia at 19, eight in three matches against England at 9.62, and six in three matches against South Africa at 14.66.

After 42 T20Is, Axar had 37 wickets at an average of 25.70. He took eight wickets in three games against Australia at 7.87 and six in five matches against New Zealand at 20.83. He also picked six wickets in 11 games against South Africa at 44.33 and five in four games against West Indies at 17.

Kuldeep has a better economy rate too. In 42 matches, his economy is 6.66. Against Australia, it is 6.33, against England 6.41, against New Zealand 6.07, and against South Africa 8.94. Axar’s economy after 42 matches is 7.53. Against Australia, it is 6.30, against England 8.55, against New Zealand 6.94, and against South Africa 8.91.

Kuldeep also has more big spells. In 42 T20Is, he has two five-wicket hauls and two four-wicket hauls. His best is 5 for 17 against South Africa in 2023. He also took 5 for 24 against England in 2018, 4 for 21 against Ireland in 2018, and 4 for 7 against UAE in Asia Cup 2025. Axar has no four-wicket haul after 42 matches. His best is 3 for 9 against New Zealand in 2021.

Stats Table – After 42 T20Is

Kuldeep Yadav vs Axar Patel – Record in Wins

Kuldeep has played 28 matches that India won. In these games, he has taken 64 wickets at an average of 10.12 and an economy of 6.38. He also has two five-wicket hauls and two four-wicket hauls. In 11 matches India lost, he took 10 wickets at an average of 29.40 and an economy of 7.17.

Axar played 27 matches that India won out of his first 42. In these, he took 28 wickets at an average of 22.14 and an economy of 7.27, with a best of 3 for 9. In 14 matches that India lost, he picked nine wickets at an average of 36.77 and an economy of 8.07.

Stats Table – In Wins (After 42 T20Is)

India completely outclassed Pakistan in Match 6 of the Asia Cup 2025 with a complete all-round performance. Batting first, Pakistan could only managed 127/9 in 20 overs, with only Shaheen Afridi's late cameo (33 off 16) attaining any respectability. India's bowlers, particularly Kuldeep Yadav (3/18) and Axar Patel (2/20) essentially totally broke the backbone of Pakistan's batting. In reply, India chased 128 in just 15.5 overs, with Abhishek Sharma (31 off 13) and Suryakumar Yadav (41 from 35) completing a 7-wicket win. Below are the main reasons for Pakistan defeat:

1. Early batting collapse under spin pressure

Pakistan's top and middle order fell apart as Kuldeep Yadav (3/18) and Axar Patel (2/20) applied the screws. At the end of the 16th over, Pakistan was 83/6 and never got back on track. 

2. Modest total of 127 proved insufficient

Despite Shaheen Afridi’s explosive 16-ball 33 at the end, Pakistan’s total was well below par. On a good batting pitch, 127 was never going to challenge India’s strong top order.

See Also: WATCH: Kuldeep Yadav takes back-to-back 2 wickets during IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 match

3. Brilliant Indian spin and fielding execution

India's spinners not only took wickets at critical times, but controlled the rate of scoring during the middle overs. Backed by sharp fielding, Pakistan's batters had no time or room to settle or rebuild.