Revealed: The legend behind Axar's batting rise

Ponting has known the emerging India all-rounder for some time, with the pair first crossing paths last decade when the duo were part of the victorious Mumbai Indians squad that claimed their first IPL title in 2013.

While Axar did not make his IPL debut that year under the captaincy of Ponting and current India skipper Rohit Sharma, he flourished during a fruitful five-year stay with the Kings XI Punjab that followed and has further boosted his status as one of the best white-ball performers in the country with some excellent efforts for the Delhi Capitals over the last four seasons.

And while it is with the ball that Axar has had the biggest impact in his career, the 29-year-old has impressed recently as an attacking left-handed batter during the Border-Gavaskar Test series against Australia.

Axar helped himself to three half-centuries and former skipper Virat Kohli (297 runs) was the only India batter to score more than the 264 runs he amassed from five innings.

Axar catches the eye at a young age

Ponting spoke glowingly of Axar with host Sanjana Ganesan on the most recent episode ofThe ICC Review, recalling how their relationship first formed in Mumbai some 10 years ago and continues to prosper at the Delhi Capitals.

"I've known Axar for a long time and he was only a young boy in the squad at Mumbai when I first went there," Ponting said.

"I've known that there's been a certain amount of batting skill there that really, apart from the last couple of years, he hadn't really been showing at IPL level or even at international level.

“There were a few little technique changes that we made with him. We just opened up his hips and his shoulders a little bit. So he was a bit more chest-on towards the right-arm fast bowlers.“

Working on Axar’s weaknesses

Ponting said Axar struggled with the short ball early in his career, but has since turned this apparent weakness into one of his strengths.

“If there was ever a weakness in his game, it was the short ball that was sort of directed at his body. The reason that he was a bit weak in that area was he was too side-on, and the ball was always sort of in behind his right shoulder,” Ponting noted.

"We just tried to open him up a little bit, which gave him a little bit more access to the ball. He's always been a beautiful offside player. You know, his cover driving and cutting is as good as anyone's. And if anything, he was just a little bit too blocked off to be able to score well on the leg side.

"We tweaked a few things there and because he's such a good young person to work with, and he's obviously very talented, so therefore he was a fast learner and was able to pick things up really quickly and change his technique enough to show really, really good improvement really early on."

Hard work finally paying off for Axar

While Axar is yet to really show his capabilities with the bat in the IPL, he has thrived at the Test level of late and finished as the third leading run-scorer for both sides – behind Australia opener Usman Khawaja and Kohli - during the Border-Gavaskar series.

While Ponting's loyalties will always be with his country of birth, the former Australia captain admitted to feeling proud of what Axar is now achieving as a batter.

"Any of these guys I've had a chance to work with at Delhi through my time there, even those, as I said, those couple of years at Mumbai, to see them progress and get better and start having a lot of success on the international stages is, it's great,” Ponting said.

“It's great fun to see it and makes coaching really rewarding."

Plans for Axar in IPL this year

Axar's new-found success with the bat in the Test arena has well and truly caught the eye of Ponting and the Australia great is predicting a new role for the left-hander in the Delhi Capitals team in the IPL this year.

"I want to get a bit more out of him at the Delhi Capitals this year, that's for sure,” Ponting said with a smile.

“A few times last year we sort of batted him up a little bit higher. I think he's good enough to bat No.6 probably in an IPL team."

What is Axar's ceiling at Test level?

Ponting also thinks Axar is capable of rising up the batting order at the Test level and believes holding down a place at No.6 or No.7 in India’s batting order in the five-day game is not beyond him.

"He's good enough to bat at six or seven in a Test match team as well," Ponting noted.

"The higher he bats in first-class cricket, and if he plays some more Test cricket even outside of India, then I think he could hold down a six or seven spot in a Test team as well.

“He's the sort of player that I think could make a lot of first-class hundreds. That’s where it’s got to start for him, maybe get some support in his state team and maybe bat a little bit up the order there."