Rajat Patidar has replaced Virat Kohli for the first two Tests against England, starting Thursday in Hyderabad. The Indore batter joined the Indian camp after Kohli made himself unavailable for the first two matches against Ben Stokes & Co. citing personal reasons.
Patidar has been in a rich vein of form lately, having scored twin back-to-back hundreds against the visiting England Lions. He smashed 151 in the first tour game in Ahmedabad last week. He also scored 111 in the warm-up fixture against the Lions and was on the tour to South Africa late last year with the A-side.
The Indore batter is a well-known figure in the Indian domestic circuit as well. Playing for Madhya Pradesh, Patidar has accumulated 4000 runs in 55 First-class games, including 22 fifties and 12 centuries, at an average of 45.97.
Patidar played a massive role in Madhya Pradesh’s maiden Ranji Trophy title win in 2022 where he racked up 658 runs to become the second-highest run-scorer of the season. He was also a performer in the big finale where he scored 122 in the first innings against Mumbai.
Patidar recently made his international debut in the 3rd ODI against South Africa in Paarl in December where he opened the innings with Sai Sudharsan and scored a quick-fire 16-ball 22. If given a chance in the first Test against England in Hyderabad, he is likely to bat in the middle-order.
The official announcement is yet to be made by the BCCI. However, Patidar’s selection certainly indicates that the team management are searching options beyond the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane at the moment. At the same time, the wait gets longer for Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan.
Khan, who also featured in the India A XI alongside Patidar, scored 96 in the first innings at a strike-rate of 87.27. During his 110-ball stint, the right-hander hit 11 boundaries and a six.
Team India will look to maintain their dominant record as it is yet to lose a Test series at home since 2012-13.
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