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The BCCI selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar ended all speculations about Virat Kohli’s replacement by adding Rajat Patidar to the Indian squad for the first two Tests against England. Kohli will miss the two matches in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam due to personal reasons. While requesting to respect Kohli’s privacy, the BCCI, in an official statement, mentioned naming a replacement soon. The choice was between the experienced Cheteshwar Pujara, youngsters Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan and Rinku Singh. But on Tuesday night, it was confirmed that Patidar won the race.
The Madhya Pradesh right-handed batter was spotted in the BCCI annual awards, Naman, with the rest of the Indian team members in Hyderabad. He is unlikely to get his Test cap on Thursday as Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are set to bat in the middle-order but with India not having any other specialist batter in the reserves, the selectors decided to call up Patidar.
Patidar unanimous choice
Patidar was reportedly a unanimous choice of the selection committee and the team management, clearly indicating that they don’t want to go back to the Pujara-Rahane route. What this also means is that Sarfaraz, the most prolific red-ball batter in the Indian domestic circuit for the last three seasons, will have to wait for his maiden call-up.
Patidar was always the frontrunner after he smashed two centuries in his last three innings for India A against the England Lions. His 151-run knock in the last four-day game where most of the India A batters, including captain Abhimanyu Easwaran failed in the first innings, is believed to have been the deciding factor.
Patidar has been in the reckoning for quite some time now. If it wasn’t for an Achilles heel injury that required surgery, keeping him away from the game for nearly eight months, he would have made his debut a lot earlier. The 30-year-old finally got his India cap when he was picked for the third ODI against South Africa at Paarl. He scored a breezy 22 while opening the batting.
No stranger to batting in the middle order, Patidar is known for his temperament and ability to score quickly against pace and spin alike. He had a decent Vijay Hazare Trophy last year, scoring 315 runs in six innings with an average of 52.50 and an eye-catching strike rate of 104.30. His first-class average of 46 in 55 matches is a testimony to his red-ball prowess.
Patidar was initially a part of India A’s squad for the second and third four-day matches against England Lions but after Kohli’s unavailability, the selection committee named Rinku Singh in the India A squad for the second match, paving the way for Patidar’s inclusion in the Test team.
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