​Axar Patel has picked the perfect time to remind India why he still matters after England ODI originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.When it mattered most, Axar Patel delivered against England in the first ODI to give India a timely lift, according to Cricket News columnist Jamie Alter.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFor me, of all the Indian cricketers under pressure heading into the first ODI against England at Edgbaston, it was Axar Patel who needed to make the biggest statement.Not for the fans. Not even for the critics. But for himself, his confidence, and to remind the selectors why he remains an important part of India’s white-ball plans.MORE:India vs England 1st ODI 2026 results, highlights and scorecard as Shubman Gill’s men end miserable UK tour droughtIn many ways, I felt Axar had more riding on this game than some of his more illustrious team-mates. More than Jasprit Bumrah, returning for his first ODI since the 2023 World Cup final. More than Virat Kohli, back after recovering from the injury he sustained during the IPL final in May. More also than Rohit Sharma, now 39 and enduring a difficult year. And perhaps even more than Shreyas Iyer, whose brief stint as India’s T20I captain has come under heavy scrutiny.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe reason is simple: Axar’s performances, particularly with the bat, have been on a worrying downward curve.There was a time when India trusted him so much that he was regularly promoted to No. 5 in both ODIs and T20Is.  That role wasn’t handed to him because he was a lower-order hitter; it reflected the team’s belief that he could control a chase, counter spin and accelerate when required.That version of Axar has rarely been seen this year. His white-ball batting numbers make for uncomfortable reading. Across 12 T20I innings this year, he averages just 6.27 at a strike-rate of 97.Stretch the sample across the last two years and the figures improve only marginally — an average of 13.5 and a strike-rate of 114.67.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEven the tactical promotions that once worked so well have gradually lost their impact. Scores of 27, 26, 17, 23 and 10 suggest that batting higher up the order in T20Is has not yielded the same returns.MORE:’Retire gracefully’: Rohit Sharma faces fierce fan backlash after ENG vs IND 1st ODIMore noticeably, the effortless six-hitting that once made him such a valuable floater has become increasingly rare, both at home and overseas.His bowling has remained the stronger suit, but even that has lacked consistency. Last year he lost the vice-captaincy before regaining it ahead of the T20 World Cup, only to find himself surprisingly benched for consecutive matches at his home ground in Ahmedabad.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAlthough he responded brilliantly in the semi-final and final of that tournament, the momentum didn’t carry forward.A difficult IPL followed, where, as D