According to Jaffer, Axar can leave his mark as English batsmen tend to struggle against left-arm spinners.
Successful in keeping opponents and vitriol at bay so far, India will have to rise above traditional bugbear New Zealand and a rigmarole of emotions surrounding stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to reclaim the Champions Trophy after 12 years in Dubai on Sunday.
India handed ODI debuts to opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and fast bowler Harshit Rana in the series opener against England at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur, on Thursday.
As the nation celebrates its 76th Republic Day, India's sports fraternity took to social media to share their patriotic sentiments and wishes with fans across the country on Sunday.
Rahul was given a test on collecting the ball outside off-stump, and the 31-year-old also managed to crouch for the entire duration of training without much discomfort.
The Indian and English cricket teams wore green armbands during the third ODI in Ahmedabad to support the BCCI's "Donate Organs, Save Lives" campaign, an initiative launched by ICC Chairman Jay Shah. Several Indian players, including Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul, voiced their support for the campaign, emphasizing the life-saving impact of organ donation.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Test played between India and England in Hyderabad, on Friday.
'Look, when someone comes back into the Test side like he does after a lengthy absence, the pressure is always there, and I think he has handled that very well.'
India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is up and running in Beckenham, putting in the hard yards before the upcoming five high-stakes Tests against England, slated to kick off on June 20 at Headingley.
Post-lunch, Pant brought up his half-century with a single before launching his third maximum, cementing his reputation as one of the game's most fearless stroke-makers in red-ball cricket.
Entertainers on the field, K L Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah enthralled fans off the pitch.
For the team management, it is a choice between a younger man's (Sarfaraz) flamboyance and fearlessness versus a seasoned campaigner who has been a Test captain and is part of the national set-up for a decade now.
From Joe Root vs Jasprit Bumrah's high-stakes chess match to the all-round brilliance of Ben Stokes vs Ravindra Jadeja, and from emerging face-offs like Shubman Gill vs Shoaib Bashir to K L Rahul's test against Chris Woakes, each duel carries weight far beyond statistics.
Among other developments, middle order batter Shreyas Iyer will miss the next three Tests due to injury.
"Actually, he can surprise you with his pace. Just the other day in the nets, he hit me straight in the back. So, yeah, all of these things make him a very good bowler to play against.
But Rohit's deplorable form in red-ball in red-ball cricket may have forced this decision.
India's spinners were the key architects of the bowling performance. Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) were the standout performers, while Jadeja (1/30) and Axar Patel (0/29 in 8 overs) kept the pressure on with their economical spells.
'Had those decisions gone our way, the day looks completely different, but that is Test cricket and we move on.'
Ashwin's age is certainly a factor that is being kept in consideration.
Shubman Gill was extremely consistent with thought process, respected good balls: Sachin Tendulkar
KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan have both been named in India's World Cup squad and India's chief selector Ajit Agarkar said having two excellent wicketkeeper batters will only serve the squad well.
While Gill's intent was to contain, former players believe he missed an opportunity to attack when it mattered most.
Flower said Rahul has great batting skills and can lead the team well.
'The real question here is that whenever you are going to play for India, when you are going to represent your national team, there is going to be pressure.'
Karun Nair and Ravichandran Smaran made double hundreds as Karnataka gained upper hand over Kerala on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match.
Across five fiercely contested Tests, more than 7,000 runs were scored, including a record-equalling 21 individual centuries. Every match stretched into a gripping fifth day. The sun shone, the stands were full, and the cricket -- emotional, enthralling, and endlessly unpredictable -- captured imaginations around the world.
Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali sees shades of Virat Kohli in Shubman Gill's aggressive on-field demeanour, but feels the India batter's approach during the Lord's Test may have triggered a stronger response from the hosts.
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes India is in "safe hands" and has "enough talent" to trounce England, but it will all come down to how the young-looking squad will leave a mark in the series on a territory known for being "tough".
Their pre-tournament decision to fill the squad with five spinners drew a lot of flak from all corners, but it is now proving to be a masterstroke on the slow pitches in Dubai.
Virat Kohli was as usual brilliant in pacing his innings but India captain Rohit Sharma doffed his hat for comeback man KL Rahul
'When you leave, you want to leave the team in better place'
India pacer Prasidh Krishna says he has learned to "switch on" as per the team's requirements and is now looking to carry his rich IPL form on to the tour of England.
Rahul was among India's best batters in the opening Test in Hyderabad before going down with the same injury that he suffered during the IPL last year.
In this World Cup, it won't be a misnomer if KL Rahul gets the DRS moniker in his name and we call it the 'Decision 'Rahul' System'.
Rohit, Virat Kohli, along with Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Yashasvi Jaiswal were among the first to touch down, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting series.
'I had prepared myself for this. I was getting dismissed (after half-centuries) so my plan was to play as much as I can with the straight bat and keep it simple after reaching fifty.'
India and England players will push their tired bodies on the line with everything to play for in the fifth and final Test starting at The Oval on Thursday
Although India are playing a strong brand of 50-overs' cricket of late, they have some selection riddles to solve before they face Bangladesh in their opening match of the Champions Trophy.
A seemingly invincible India will be eager to sharpen their game against spin and give a run to second-line players ahead of the semi-final when they take on New Zealand in their last group match of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday.
Shaken by the abrupt suspension of their previous match due to the India-Pakistan conflict, a struggling Delhi Capitals will look to regroup and address bowling concerns when they face table-toppers Gujarat Titans in a reverse-leg IPL clash in Delhi on Sunday to keep their play-off hopes alive.
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