Indian batsman Rajat Patidar made his Test debut in the second Test against England in Vizag. He was added to the team before the first Test as a replacement for Virat Kohli but was given a chance in the second Test. India ended the day on 336/6 in 93 overs.
Patidar came out to bat at number five and scored 32 off 72 balls in his first Test innings. He added 70 runs for the fourth wicket with Yashasvi Jaiswal who finished the day with 179. All the Indian batsmen started but failed to convert it into a big score.
Rajat Patidar was selected ahead of Sarfaraz Khan to play in the second Test. The selection of him had mixed opinions among fans and the Indian cricket fraternity. However, until the ball that fired him, he looked quite calm and with good intentions of scoring a big goal.
Also Read: Kevin Pietersen claims England are ahead in the game despite Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 179* in Vizag Test
After the end of the day’s play, Patidar spoke about his Test debt and said it was a dream come true moment for him. He debuted at the age of 30 and was quite late.
Dream come true moment: Rajat Patidar on his Test debut
“It was a dream come true moment for me. Representing the country is every player’s dream. Coming to the middle, there was no pressure as I have played many domestic cricket matches. I slept well last night. It was normal for me. I have also played two A-level series (New Zealand and England). It gives a lot of confidence when you play at that level. I gained confidence playing against the Lions (recently). The two hundreds against Lions were very crucial for me,” Patidar said after the close of play.
He also spoke about the long wait he had to endure before making his Test debut. He nearly scored 4000 first-class runs before making his Test debut for India at the age of 30.
“Waiting so long is common in Indian cricket (laughs). There are many players. I was just concentrating on the things that are in my hands. So at the age of 30 I came here feeling pretty good,” said Patidar, who was presented with his Test cap by former pacer Zaheer Khan.
The batsman also spoke about Yashasvi Jaiswal’s unbeaten knock and the crucial partnership the duo had for the fourth wicket.
“We (Yashasvi and I) were talking about carrying the game as long as possible. My entries were good, but I have to do it big. Talking about Yashavi, he is a very good player. The way he takes on the bowlers, he has a special ability about him. The wicket is really good for batting. We will try to bat as much as we can,” Patidar concluded.
India looked good scoring over 450 on the first day, but timely attacks from England’s bowlers meant India finished well short of where they would have loved to finish. Rehan Ahmed and debutant Shoaib Bashir picked two each, while Tom Hartley and James Anderson picked one each.
Also Read: Watch: “Sehwag ki yad dilwa di” – Mohammad Kaif greets Yashasvi Jaiswal during “Biwi ke sawaal” session.