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India batter Rajat Patidar is all over the moon after receiving his maiden Test call up last month. Patidar was named as Virat Kohli‘s replacement in the team for the first two Tests after the former India captain pulled out of the squad, citing personal reasons. While Patidar did not find a place in the XI for the first Test, which India lost by 28 runs in Hyderabad last month, the talks regarding his inclusion in the team for the second Test, starting in Vizag on Friday, have intensified. On the eve of the second Test, Patidar reflected on his journey during a chat with the BCCI.
“Getting my first Test call up soon after my recovery has to be my happiest moment. It was my dream to represent my country in Test cricket. It felt very good to get that call. I was playing India A matches and felt very good on getting that call,” Patidar said in a video uploaded by BCCI.
Bouncing back after injury
Emotions on maiden Test call-up
Learnings from Captain @ImRo45 & @imVkohliIn conversation with @rrjjt_01 ahead of the 2nd #INDvENG Test #TeamIndia | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/KU4FRyUuW2
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 1, 2024
Patidar also admitted that he enjoys watching Virat bat, especially his footwork and body movements. The 35-year-old superstar batter is also Patidar’s teammate in his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
“I always observe his batting from the back of the nets. Especially his footwork and body movement while batting. I enjoy his batting. I want to add on those skills. It is not easy but I am relentlessly after it,” he added.
Patidar has featured in one ODI for India, against South Africa in December last year, where he scored 22 runs in 16 balls and impressed with his strokeplay.
In the ongoing series of three unofficial Tests against England Lions happening side-by-side of the bilateral series between India-England senior sides, Patidar has been in a fine form, scoring 111 in the first game while 151 and 4 came in the second game.
Patidar has been a star for India in the domestic circuit, especially in first-class cricket. Representing Madhya Pradesh, he has scored 4,000 runs in 55 FC matches at an average of 45.97, with 12 centuries and 22 fifties in 93 innings. His best score is 196.
Patidar was also instrumental in MP’s first-ever Ranji Trophy title win in 2021-22, scoring 658 runs in six matches at an average of 53.15.
He scored two centuries and five fifties in nine innings and ended as the second-highest run-scorer next to Sarfaraz Khan (982 runs in six matches), who has also been selected for the second Test in the absence of KL and Jadeja.
India’s updated Squad for 2nd Test vs England: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Sourabh Kumar.
(With ANI Inputs)
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